The Customs of Cambodia

In a lower category are the women who do errands for the palace;
of these, called ch’en-chia-lan (=Sanskrit srnghara) there are at least two
thousand, all married, with homes throughout the city. The hair of the
forehead is shaved high after the manner of the northern people and a
vermilion mark is made here, as well as on each temple. This is the distinctive
sign of the ch’en-chia-lan. Only these women are given entry to
the palace, which is forbidden to all of lesser rank. They move in an
unbroken stream through the streets in front of and behind the palace.

Women of the people knot their hair, but there is no sign of hairpins or comb, or any other adornment of the head. On their arms they wear gold bracelets and rings of gold on their fingers: the palace women and the court ladies also observe this fashion. Men and women alike are anointed with perfumes compounded of sandalwood, musk, and other essences.

Worship of the Buddha is universal.

In the market place groups of ten or more catamites are to be
seen every day, making efforts to catch the attention of the Chinese in
the hope of rich presents. A revolting, unworthy custom, this! (p 13, 15)

In ancient Greece and Rome, a catamite (Latin: catamītus) was a pubescent boy who was the intimate companion of an older male, usually in a pederastic relationship.[1] It was generally a term of affection and literally means ​“Ganymede” in Latin, but it was also used as a term of insult when directed toward a grown man.[2] The word derives from the proper noun Catamitus, the Latinized form of Ganymede, the name of the beautiful Trojan youth abducted by Zeus to be his companion and cupbearer, according to Greek mythology.[3] The Etruscan form of the name was Catmite, from an alternative Greek form of the name, Gadymedes.[4]

In its modern usage, the term catamite refers to a boy as the passive or receiving partner in anal intercourse with a man.[5]

References in literature and popular culture

In Plato’s dialogue Gorgias (at 494^e), Socrates uses the phrase κιναίδων βίος (Catamite Life), in a conversation with Callicles contrasting appetites and contentment.

Breezewood Collection, 1940 – 1972 (majority within 1972)

The Breezewood collection is comprised of approximately 3,500 photographs depicting Thai art and architecture, as well as important examples of Burmese, Cambodian, Cham, Indian, and Indonesian art. The photographs were taken in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. During the summer of 1972 Professor Walter Spink and Forest McGill launched an initiative with aid from the Center for South and Southeast Asian Studies. The initiative was to duplicate about 3,500 photographs from the Breezewood Foundation. Mr. Horst Schastok copied the photographs for the Department of the History of Art and the Southeast Asian Art Archive. The collection contains photographs of sculpture, decorative arts, ceramics, and paintings, many of which were never published as they are part of private or temple collections.

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Biographical / Historical:
Alexander Brown Griswold was born in 1907 and graduated with honors in 1928 from Princeton, where he studied art and archaeology. After Princeton Griswold did graduate work at Cambridge University and became a member of the investment firm Alex, Brown & Sons in 1930. When World War II broke out, Griswold served in the Office of Strategic Services in Thailand. After the war ended Griswold kept a home in Thailand, though he returned to the investment company from which he retired in 1964. Griswold continued his studies of Thai and Southeast Asian art, which resulted in his serving as a visiting professor at Cornell University and the creation of the Breezewood Foundation.

The Breezewood Foundation was established in 1955 and was housed at the residence of Alexander B. Griswold in Monkton, Maryland. The foundation’s collection contains a large amount of Thai art and architecture but also includes important examples of Burmese, Cambodian, Cham, Indian, and Indonesian art. The Breezewood collection is composed of approximately 3,500 photographs duplicated from the Breezewood Foundation’s holdings. The Breezewood Foundation’s photographs were originally created in the later 1940’s and early 1950’s.

PTG., THAILAND, BANGKOK STYLE
View Title
Manuscript in Cambodian letters
Site/​Repository
Breezewood Collection
Period/​Date
18^th-20^th cen.
Work Record ID
168218
Image Record ID
978637

978637

manuscript in Cambodian letters 18 – 20^th cent

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/h/hart/x‑978637/05d105361