Cambodia's National Museum in Phnom Penh has become a focal point of restoration as approximately 300 stolen artifacts, returned by foreign collectors and institutions over the past six years, are reintegrated into its collection. The museum, housed in a century-old building, is experiencing overwhelming visitor numbers, necessitating caution with space as roughly 1,400 items vie for attention in its four expansive wings.
Director Chhay Visoth expressed concern about the museum's space limitations, particularly highlighting the difficulty of accommodating recently returned statues, some comparable in size to refrigerators, currently stored in protective foam beneath the museum’s blood-red roof eaves. Plans for an expansion and renovation are in the works, yet uncertainties linger regarding funding sources, management of the funds, and the internal dynamics of overcoming bureaucratic hurdles.
The museum confronts an additional challenge; Cambodian visitors often regard these artifacts not as art pieces but as revered deities imbued with the essence of their ancestors. Huot Samnang, director of the antiquities department, articulated this view, stating, "They come to see the gods, or to be seen by the gods." This spiritual context necessitates an awareness and sensitivity in how the newly returned artifacts are displayed, making the museum’s mission of showcasing Cambodia's rich heritage a complex and sensitive task.
