detail of a photograph of Bayon,
Angkor Thom, Cambodia © Mary Heebner

Buddha in a Box; BAYON SKETCHES

We spent the day wandering among the Khmer ruins of Angkor Thom, drawn towards the absolute center of this square, walled town; BAYON.

What appeared at a distance to be beehive-shaped rock formations, were the clusters of towers that crown the temple ruins of Bayon. The towers were built of sandstone blocks, then carved in situ with enormous portraits gazing out in four directions. Some see the faces as Buddha, others Brahma, while others note the likeness of King Jayavarman VII.

It was beginning to rain and I found shelter under a carved lintel. The ochre stone shone golden and furtive recesses deepened in the rain. I made watercolor drawings, dipping my brush in the puddle beside me, watching the sky blush and then blacken against these gigantic forms.

ANGKOR: Guide Henri Parmentier
(Saigon, 1950)

This book contains two accordion folded pigment prints, made directly from my watercolor sketches, on Somerset Velvet rag paper, plus a booklet with a detail of a map from ANGKOR: Guide Henri Parmentier (Saigon, 1950) on the front. These are wrapped in a cotton khataj, a Buddhist ceremonial scarf, and contained within a folded paper box with a thumbnail of one of the BAYON SKETCHES as a label.
This is an edition of 20 boxed sets, with prints numbered and signed by the artist.

Detail of map from ANGKOR:
Guide Henri Parmentier (Saigon, 1950)

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