Apsara dressed in Angkorian-style sampot cloth. (Source: Wikipedia)
Exhibit at National Palace, Phnom Penh
When I visited Cambodia for the first time this summer, all my knowledge about the country was limited to what I had read in my 2002 Lonely Planet Guidebook. Visiting 2008 Cambodia with a 2002 mindset was mind-boggling--I could see the devastation my book referenced, but I also saw healing, optimism, and a growing and vibrant culture. In my ignorance, I was amused by everything… I hope I can properly capture my enthusiasm and admiration for Cambodian culture with a series of travel photographs and blogposts, of which this is the first.
Pol Pot tried to eradicate culture. To a certain extent, he destroyed intellectuals and the fine arts. But he was not able to eliminate popular culture and customs. These profound expressions of identity were firmly engrained in people’s lives; they survived Pol Pot.
A clear example of this is the Cambodian national garment, the sampot. This item can be traced back to the Funan era and linked to the traditional dress of neighboring Laos and Thailand, which are derived from it. Sampots range from the every-day sarong to the elegant sampot chang kben. They are special because they can be worn by everyone: women, men, the poor, the rich, the traditional, and the more westernized.
There is a high degree of sophistication and historical continuity in the production of the silk employed in these garments. I knew this before coming to Cambodia, but I was still impressed by the luscious and rich heritage staring at me in the humblest stalls and city streets. I grew up admiring my uncle’s ikat collection, hung and illuminated like world-class works of art in his Lima home. Having listened to his explanations about the precision and diligence necessary to weave an ikat (the silk threads are dyed before they are woven,) I couldn’t believe they were all around me.
All of this reminded me of Peru, my home, where the traditionally underappreciated garments used by the Andean people now grace the pages of the most exclusive fashion magazines. There is something paradoxical about Cambodia--an exotic quality that fascinates me, but that somehow always connects to home.
(source, Vogue 2008)
Published on Thursday, October 16, 2008. http://www.harpswellfoundation.blogspot.com/
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