18PS.12

 

12. Angkor Wat (Gallery of the Churning of the Sea of Milk)

1. It is recommended to conduct trials with experienced sculptors to assess the technical feasibility of high quality copies of the decors; the trials should be conducted in real-size, using sandstone, so that they can be presented at the next technical committee of the ICC and help select the final approach: repairing using new stones, replacing the original ancient ones, combination of new and old, scale of the restitution, etc. The WMF team is also encouraged to broaden its survey to include all the courtyards around the central Bakan in case new fragments of these vanished decorations;
2. Regarding the restitution of the decorative ceiling inside the Gallery, which has received in-principle agreement, WMF is requested to carry out further technical, documentation and aesthetic studies and submit its final proposals at the next technical meeting;
3. The interesting proposal by WMF, and its patron for this project, to donate the crane specifically designed for the project to APSARA National Authority, is noted with interest;
4. Once again, the Group of ad hoc experts for Conservation wishes to congratulate WMF for the high quality of the work conducted, which has optimized the collaboration between Cambodian and international experts.