Angkor reaches Assen through objects, not a temple
Editors ·
The Drents Museum opens an exhibition on the Cambodian city on 17 October. Its own pages disagree on the object count; the stories of individual pieces are more concrete.
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The Drents Museum in Assen opens Angkor – The Mystery of Cambodia on 17 October 2026. The exhibition in the singelzaal runs until 9 May 2027. The museum describes original objects from the former Khmer capital but gives differing totals on its own pages. We therefore leave out an exact count.
Among the named pieces is a portrait of King Jayavarman VII from the twelfth or thirteenth century. The museum also announces a lintel with scenes from the Buddha’s life, an elephant bell and an Asura head from a gate of Angkor Thom. These objects shift attention from the famous monument to what people made, used and revered.
The museum says it is preparing the exhibition with MUSEUMsPARTNER, the National Museum of Cambodia, the EFEO and the California Science Center. Curator Irini Biezeveld told RTV Drenthe that some objects have previously been in Europe while many others are arriving for the first time. The consulted pages do not specify the provenance of each item.
The setting for these stories is Angkor, capital of the Khmer Empire. The museum describes an extensive city and points to Angkor Wat as a religious monument. Our photographs show Angkor Wat and a gate of Angkor Thom in Cambodia; neither shows an exhibition object in Assen.
An adult ticket during the exhibition costs €25, including a €7.50 supplement, according to the museum. Admission is free under 18; Museumkaart holders pay the supplement. The museum is at Brink 1 in Assen. Check current visitor information for the day of your visit.