Angkor Ceramic Museum is located in Tani village, Run Ta Ek commune, Banteay Srei district, Siem Reap province, approximately 32 kilometres northeast of Siem Reap city. This ceramic museum is the first museum in Cambodia to be built on an archeological site.
According to the APSARA National Authority, during the 10th-11th centuries during the Angkorian period, this was an industrial site for the production of Khmer ceramics for the livelihood of the Khmer ancestors. Ancient mounds and millions of ceramic pieces covering the surface, which is about 900 metres long, are very important in the research of the Khmer ceramic sector, which has just attracted the interest of the researchers.
Recognising the importance of the Tani ancient kiln collection in the study of Khmer ceramics, the APSARA National Authority has demarcated a 34-hectare Protected Area covering a 900-metre-long ancient site with five groups of kilns. There are 27 ancient mounds and many small and large ancient ponds, which researchers believe are clay pits to supply the ceramic production in this ancient kiln site.
The museum is a centre for exhibiting a wide variety of ceramics, which archaeologists have discovered from archeological excavations from archeological sites and around the Angkor site such as Anlong Thom kiln station, Khnar Po, Sar Sei, Bangkong, as well as the Tani itself on display at this museum.
Mr. Vong Savuthy, Technical Officer of Angkor Ceramic Museum from the Department of Cultural Development, Museums, and Heritage Norms of APSARA National Authority, said that all these ceramics tell us more about daily life, trade, and development of handicrafts, ceramic of Khmer ancestors during the Angkorian period. He continued that in addition to the great temple, and the infrastructure of the Baray, which is a testament to the Angkorian civilisation, the ceramic product is also a part of the prosperity of our ancestors, which should not be overlooked by all Cambodian people.
“As we all know, inscriptions depicting the events of kings, priests, nobles, offerings, slaves, and logistics for temples do not focus on everyday life but only on the carvings in the gallery at Bayon Temple. Studying ceramics allows us to learn more about ancient society in addition to the carvings of the Bayon temple,” he underlined.
Mr. Vong Savuthy appealed to and encouraged national and international tourists to visit other museums in the Siem Reap area, especially the Angkor Ceramic Museum to gain knowledge about the Khmer ceramic industry on display in the museum gallery. Visitors can visit the five groups of ancient kilns, landscapes, fields, forests, and the lives of people in the ancient kiln protection area of Tani village.
Mr. Vong Savuthy added that currently, the Siem Reap-Angkor area is an area with a lot of tourist options and all tourists refer only to the main ancient temples in Angkor, which makes some important temples have a lot of tourists may affect more or less the temple. Tourists should turn their attention to various fields of Angkorian civilisation because Angkorian civilisation is not only about temples or barays, but we should learn more about other areas that support the growth of Angkorian civilisation, for example, the ceramic sector.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press