A magnificent seven-foot-long, nearly thousand-year-old bronze sculpture that lay in fragments for centuries has been painstakingly reassembled using cutting-edge technology and is now on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The restored masterpiece, known as the Reclining Vishnu, serves as the centerpiece of "Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine," an extraordinary exhibition running through January 18, 2026, featuring 200 sacred sculptures and ceremonial objects spanning two millennia of Cambodian artistry.
Since 2018, international experts have worked tirelessly to reunite the incomplete fragments of this remarkable sculpture, marking what Chhay Visoth, director of the National Museum of Cambodia, calls "a great moment." Speaking during a media preview on October 23, Visoth emphasized the exhibition's significance, stating, "If you want to learn about Cambodia's great collection of bronze, this is the place you should come." The Minneapolis Institute of Art is the only U.S. venue to host the complete exhibition featuring the reclining Vishnu sculpture.
The exhibition takes visitors on a comprehensive journey through the rich history of Cambodian metal art from 500 BCE through the 19th century. Along this artistic timeline, the display shares compelling stories of revolution and cultural development, with particular emphasis on the flourishing Angkor period from the 9th to the 15th centuries. The collection traces the evolution of lost-wax casting techniques and showcases how royal patronage strengthened the craft at sites like the Angkor Thom royal foundry.
Built during the latter part of the 11th century, the Reclining Vishnu originally rested in a temple constructed at the center of a massive reservoir during the ancient Khmer Empire. The statue's journey through history reflects Cambodia's tumultuous past – it was dismantled, buried, and largely forgotten until French archaeologists unearthed it in 1936 during Cambodia's colonial period. Remarkably, the disregarded sculpture survived both Cambodia's devastating civil war (1967-1975) and the genocide under the Khmer Rouge (1975-79).
The restoration project, initiated in 2018 and coordinated by experts in Cambodia and France, culminated in the sculpture's exhibition at Paris's Musée Guimet in 2024 before arriving in Minneapolis. Pierre Baptiste, Musée Guimet's director of conservation and collections, explained the significance of seeing the reunited fragments: "For the first time since maybe the 15th century, we can see these fragments put back together." The restoration process revealed crucial details about the statue's original form, particularly confirming that Vishnu's body was actually reclining rather than seated.
The sculpture's most complete aspect is its bust, featuring Vishnu's serene expression gazing toward the horizon. Two of the god's four arms support his reclining pose – one hand cradles his head while the other remains open, angled away from his face. Although Vishnu's other two arms are missing, his strong shoulders remain prominently displayed. Baptiste noted the human qualities evident in the sculpture's craftsmanship: "You can feel the human aspect with the shape of the back, the column in the middle, and the position of the belt, the buttocks and the thighs." Originally, a female sculpture likely stood behind Vishnu, completing the artistic composition.
According to Visoth, the temporary removal of the Reclining Vishnu from Cambodia was specifically for analysis, restoration, and scholarly study, forming part of a larger initiative to honor Cambodia's national artifacts, including those lost during periods of historical looting. The challenge of tracking down stolen artifacts remains significant, as Visoth explained: "Photographs from a recent European auction included 30 objects Cambodian experts hope to assess. That's the hardest part – the assessment that we are doing is only through the photograph."
Beyond the spectacular Reclining Vishnu, the exhibition showcases the breadth and depth of Cambodia's bronze tradition, highlighting exquisite craftsmanship that honored religious beliefs across centuries and traversed both Hindu and Buddhist periods. The display demonstrates the ingenuity and resilience of Cambodia's bronze heritage while celebrating the collaborative international efforts that brought these precious objects together for public study and appreciation.
Looking toward the future, Cambodia's national museum plans to construct an addition to better display its growing collection of recovered and preserved artifacts. After its stay in Minneapolis, the Reclining Vishnu will travel to the National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco before returning permanently to Cambodia, where Visoth confirmed it will remain as part of the nation's cultural heritage.
The exhibition, located at the Minneapolis Institute of Art at 2400 Third Avenue South, offers several special events for visitors. A community reception is scheduled for November 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on November 13 at 6:30 p.m., archaeometallurgy specialists David Bourgarit and Brice Vincent will share detailed insights about the exhibition during a curator talk, providing deeper understanding of the technical and historical aspects of these remarkable bronze masterpieces.
