Antique Cambodian Silk/Khmer Ikat: Collected 94-96
Antique Cambodian Silk
The skill and sheer number of hours in making something like this is mind-blowing.
Detail on edge of three meter piece.
I collected antique Cambodian silk while living in Phnom Penh in the mid-90s I could still find very old pieces of Khmer silk at the markets, mainly The Russian Market, or P’sa Toul Tom Poung. Some of these are spectacular samples of vintage Cambodian ikat. I have three basic types: long pieces, some over three meters, simple sompat, or sarongs, of just under two meters, and tie-dyed pieces, which I am told are Cham.
In 1996 I had the opportunity to show my collection to Dr. Mattiebelle Gittinger, one of the foremost experts on Southeast Asian textiles. (She had done her PhD on Sumatran double-ikat.) She told me I had done very well given my budget. She was in town looking for pieces for the Queen of Thailand’s collection. She was budgeting up to USD15,000 per piece, but said there were no old pieces of that quality left in Cambodia. The best pieces of vintage Cambodian ikat were to be found in Long Beach CA, where the largest community of Khmer living outside Cambodia.
Ultimately I am looking to sell my antique Cambodian silk collection. To quote Lemmy, I found “the chase better than the catch” with Southeast Asian textiles.
Russian Market, Phnom Penh, 2006
II see various pieces for sale online, but I don’t think there has been a batch like this come available for some time.
Viewing the pieces online is ultimately unsatisfying as they have to be held, the combination of extreme softness and incredible strength is something tactile. Available for viewing in Bangkok when I am in town. I have around 30 pieces, from spectacular to fairly normal.
