🏛️ The Long Journey of Khmer Bronze Statues —
From Angkor, Through Siam, to Burma
Have you ever wondered whether some Khmer bronze statues created during the Angkorian period could have traveled through several kingdoms before disappearing from the territory of Cambodia?
According to accounts in the Ayutthaya chronicles and several historical sources, after Angkor Thom was captured by Ayutthaya forces in 1431, King Borommaracha II ordered a number of statues and animal figures to be taken from Angkor to Ayutthaya. One source specifically describes oxen, lions, and other animal figures that were taken and offered at Wat Mahathat and other sacred places in Ayutthaya.
🐂🦁 From Angkor Thom to Ayutthaya
One account states that there were approximately 40 bronze animal figures taken from Angkor and brought to Ayutthaya, where they were used as objects associated with Buddhism.
This means that statues that had once been part of the artistic world and religious beliefs of Angkor began a new journey within the Ayutthaya kingdom.
And the story of these objects did not end there.
🔥 From Ayutthaya to Pegu
Approximately 138 years later, in 1569, Ayutthaya was captured by the forces of King Bayinnaung of the Toungoo–Burmese Empire.
According to historical sources, many treasures were taken out of Ayutthaya. Within these historical accounts, there are also stories concerning Khmer bronze statues. These included bronze animal figures, three-headed elephants, bodhisattvas, lions, and other figures that were considered works of Khmer art. These objects, which had reportedly been taken by Siam approximately 138 years earlier, were also carried onward from Ayutthaya to Pegu (Bago).
⚔️ 1599 — Pegu Was Destroyed
In 1599, the situation in Pegu changed dramatically.
King Naresuan and Longvek marched their forces toward Burma. At the same time, the Toungoo and Arakan forces were fighting among themselves for power.
Before Naresuan's forces reached the Burmese capital, the city of Pegu had already been abandoned and looted. The palace and many other structures were burned and destroyed.
This means that Ayutthaya may have been able to launch a successful attack partly because Burma was also experiencing internal conflict. This may also have been a reason why Longvek, under King Srei Soryapor, was not given as much importance, because the war had shifted toward Siam, which already had an advantage. In this way, did Longvek turn into someone who stabbed from behind?
It is at this point that the journey of some bronze statues becomes increasingly difficult to trace, because the city was destroyed and many treasures were divided or transported to different regions.
🦁 The Bronze Lions — The Second Journey
Apart from the story of the movement from Angkor to Ayutthaya, there is another story mentioned in Thai historical sources concerning a pair of bronze lions believed to have originated from the area of Banteay Meas, which today is associated with the Kampot and Ha Tien regions.
According to this story, the pair of lions was taken to Siam, and later additional copies of the lions were made following the original pattern.
These lion figures have been associated with Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram (Wat Phra Kaew) in Bangkok.
However, this point should be described as being based on “chronicles/historical sources” rather than as absolute evidence that all of these statues were Khmer objects from the Angkorian period, because the origins and dates of individual objects may be interpreted differently.
🏛️ An Interesting Historical Journey
If we look at this story as the journey of ancient objects, then it is not the story of just one statue.
🔥 War, Destruction, and Movement
These statues passed through wars, changes of capitals, and shifts in political power among kingdoms across Southeast Asia.
That is why an ancient object can have a history longer than the lifespan of the city in which it once stood.
📜 A Note for Students of History
The claim that “Siam took bronze statues from Khmer territory only twice” should be understood as a conclusion based on the sources mentioned, rather than as a conclusion that all Khmer artworks currently located in Siam/Thailand originated from only these two movements.
Historical sources show that the movement of statues and sacred objects between different kingdoms in Southeast Asia occurred during many periods and for different reasons.
The history of ancient objects is a journey that must be studied through multiple sources, not merely through one story recorded in a single chronicle.
Written by: VARMAN
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