A 1,500-year-old statue of the Hindu god Krishna from eastern Takeo province’s Phnom Da archaeological site and other Cambodian artefacts will be on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington DC from April 30 to September 18, according to the US embassy.
The embassy in an April 29 press statement described the exhibition, entitled “Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia's Sacred Mountain”, as “a result of longstanding cooperation on cultural preservation between the United States and Cambodia”.
“The exhibition … showcases the Hindu deity lifting Mount Govardhan to protect his people from a torrential storm sent by an angry god. It was previously showcased at Cleveland Museum of Arts”, located in the namesake US city, the statement said.
“I am proud of our longstanding efforts and cooperation to help preserve, restore and to showcase Cambodia’s incredible heritage around the world,” US ambassador to Cambodia Patrick Murphy said in a video posted on the embassy’s Facebook page on April 29.
The embassy added: “Since 2001, the United States has provided over $5 million in funding to Cambodia for cultural preservation through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation and grants.”
