“This work is a bronze Urn. It weighs 2.65 kilogram. It was brought from Chak Ang Rae community in Phnom Penh for displayed and later registered into the collection of the National Museum.
To date no study has been made to determine the date and period in which this Urn was made. The work has two parts: the body and supporting foot or base. The body has two sections: the large round the bowl for storing item and a matching cover.
The bottom is covered with images of lotus petals and four-legged animals. The cover also has two sections: the actual cover, which is also a large round shape that fits snugly onto the other half, and the handle, which is shaped like a lotus bud or stupa.
The body section is adorned in figures of humans, gods, meditating Buddha, and laymen praying. The supporting leg has decorative round patterns on three levels. The bottom level features humans and animals mingling in a disorderly manner and torture scenes. Based on the decorative patterns and scenes arrangements, it can be assumed that this Urn symbolize the universe. Which is composed of three worlds: the central world or the human world, heaven and hell.
These images convey messages educating human about the acts and consequences in their daily life. The Urn is made of bronze, suggesting it meant for use to store ashes of the rich high-status families in past times. They used such an expensive item to dedicate the souls of loved ones to rest in peace and reincarnated in heaven.”