Beschreibung:

GOUVERNEMENT GENERAL DE L'INDOCHINE. Indochine Française. Ruines d'Angkor . [?Hanoi: c.1930.] Unique large-scale photographs of the spectacular temple complex of Angkor Wat, compiled for the Lieutenant Governor of Cochin China. Angkor Wat was originally conceived as a Hindu place of worship in the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c.1150), and dedicated to Vishnu. After the death of Suryavarman, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer, but then re-established as a new capital under Jayavarman VII, with a new state temple, the Bayon. The latter is also recorded in these fine photograph albums. By the end of the 12th century, Angkor Wat gradually transformed from a Hindu centre of worship to a Buddhist temple, which continues to the present day. Although largely neglected after the 16th century, it was never completely abandoned. With the arrival of the French in south-east Asia, the temple was brought to a much wider western audience through the travel notes of the French naturalist and explorer Henri Mouhot. His reports inspired the French government to begin a systematic study of the ruins, the examination of which enabled a much clearer understanding of the history of Angkor Wat. By 1885 the chronology of rulers and an understanding of the Khmer civilization that had produced the temple complex had been established. By the end of the 19th century, the French government committed substantial funds to Angkor's preservation. The present lot is a wonderful time capsule of images showing the extent of these endeavours, as well as those areas of the site still under considerable forestation at that time. The quality of the photographs is superb, and seem to have been commissioned especially for Pierre Pagés, Lieutenant Governor of Cochin China in the 1930s. 8 volumes, oblong quarto (275 x 330mm). 160 large-format mounted photographs (165 x 225mm), mostly landscape format, but a few portrait, all captioned in white ink manuscript in French. Limp card covers with stencilled titles thus: Le temple d'Angkor Vat; Le séjour à Angkor; La vie des Khmers d'après les bas reliefs d'Angor Vat et du Bayon; Angkor Thom - Le Bayon; Le temple d'Angkor Vat, Sculptures et bas reliefs; Les temples isolés, Sculptures et bas reliefs; Les temples isolés dans la forêt; L'étreinte de la forêt , all with small mounted photograph on front cover approx. 83 x 110mm within gilt border, silk cords (faintly rubbed, one fore-edge fractionally frayed, one lower cover lightly creased, a few minor stains to covers). Provenance : Pierre André Michel Pagés (1893-1980, French colonial administrator, senior resident of Laos in 1931 and then in Tonkin (Hanoi) in 1932, lieutenant governor of Cochin China 1934-1939; his stamp on covers and photographs,).