Cambodian sculpture goes on display at Smithsonian Museum in Washington

PHNOM PENH, March 27, 2026 (KPT) – A major Cambodian sculpture has gone on display in the United States, in what officials describe as a symbol of long standing cultural cooperation between the two countries.

The artwork, titled Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean, is being exhibited at the Smithsonian’s Asian Art Museum in Washington, DC.

The exhibition opened on March 26 and features the large scale piece on loan from the National Museum of Cambodia, according to the US Embassy in Phnom Penh.

Representatives from Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts attended the opening ceremony.

The embassy called the display a “rare opportunity” for visitors in the US capital and said it highlighted decades of partnership between Cambodia and the United States. The exhibition runs until September 7, 2026.

The display is part of broader cultural exchanges aimed at promoting Cambodia’s artistic heritage internationally.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Culture marked the completion of a five year restoration of a large Dancing Shiva statue at the Angkor Conservation site in Siem Reap, carried out with the Preah Vihear National Authority, the École française d’Extrême Orient and the Heritage Alliance.