DOC The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton in History

Description

Angkor; the ancient seat of the god-kings of Cambodia; is the great treasury of Khmer artistic culture; whose evocative; enigmatic sculptures are known throughout the world. Marc Riboud; the French photographer; visited the site several times; first in the late 1960s and most recently in November 1990; capturing its monuments and inhabitants before and after the years of the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields. Riboud shows not only the toppled edifices; the lichened Buddhas and the roofless galleries of Angkor's two most famous sites of Angkor Wat and the Bayon; but also the invasive power of the surrounding jungle. The still undefiled relief carvings of graceful dancers and smiling "devatas" are juxtaposed with French and Japanese graffiti; and the friezes depicting the battles of the Khmer kings with modern mementoes of conflict. But Angkor has become host to the revival of life and faith in Cambodia: Riboud watched and recorded in 1990 as monks and pilgrims converged on this one-time capital for a three-day festival in honour of a statue of the Buddha; rekindling a tradition almost extinguished by years of persecution. Riboud's images are complemented by his own descriptive essay; along with texts on Angkor's recent history and its Buddhist foundations.