The silken costumes with gold embellishments transform these Angkor Wat models into winged creatures, apsaras, and other mythological beings from Angkorian times. They position themselves in a prime location within Cambodia’s famed Angkor Wat complex.
Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All rights reserved.
Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.
Wow. So nice. I’m enjoying your finds immensely.
Victor, I’ve always found the sandstone apsaras adorning Angkor Wat to be so beautiful. That’s why it was fun to see them depicted by these Cambodian ladies. I thought that the bright costumes and gold crowns contrasted quite well with the dark grey walls of Angkor Wat. I’ll be sharing some of the black & white images of the apsaras shortly. It’s incredible how long the apsara friezes have survived!
Did last weekend allow for you to do some snapping after all? :) Here in Vietnam, the weather is now lending itself to rainy day photography but I hope to take some snaps at the marketplace later.
These photos are amazing. Thanks for sharing, culture is so beautiful!
Ashley, it’s a pleasure to meet you – thanks for dropping by! Indeed, observing different cultural practices is such a beautiful experience. As we tiptoe through Southeast Asia, we’re struck not only by how cultures are so diverse across borders, but also how there’s incredible variety within one country.
When we travelled through Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, we were lucky to see dancers in traditional costumes performing purely by chance (the Thai king’s birthday celebration, a flower festival in Vietnam, a children’s dance class in Bali). Dance is such a rich component of culture. Since we missed going to a traditional dance performance in Cambodia, we were happy to see these models donning these traditional costumes.
Wow, beautiful photos, especially the colors! Do they perform some kind of dance or act? Did you learn some moves?
Antoinette, thank you for your kind comment! These Cambodians were serving as models for travelers wishing to snap shots with them at Angkor Wat. So, for a few thousand riel, we too, snapped a souvenir image.
The apsara dancers in Cambodia do wear costumes such as these, though. I would’ve loved to have seen such a dance performance in Cambodia. I’ve read that Thai dance actually evolved from traditional Khmer dance moves. When we were in Bali in November, we were really lucky to watch a children’s dance class. It was fun seeing how the kids were molded at such a young age into graceful dancers. Here’s a glimpse into the class: https://triciaannemitchell.com/2011/11/19/backstage-at-balinese-dance-class/
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