Museums of Cambodia Collections Online Index

A quite basic and limited yet essential tool for Khmer art lovers and researchers.

Published: 2024

Source: Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia, Department of Museums. 

Languages : English, Khmer

As of May 2025, some 21,351 items — the vast majority of which, 19, 491, being kept in Phnom Penh — have been catalogued by 

  • Inventory Number,
  • Old inventory Number
  • Item Name
  • Medium
  • Museum in Cambodia [Angkor Borei Museum, Angkor National Museum (Siem Reap), Kompong Chhnang Provincial Museum, Kompong Thom Provincial Museum, NMC (Phnom Penh), Natural Museum of Preah Vihear [Eco-Global Museum of Preah Vihear?], Prey Veng Provincial Museum, Pursat Provincial Museum, Takeo Provincial Museum]

Surprisingly, the important collections of the Battambang Provincial Museum and the Preah Norodom Sihanouk Museum (Siem Reap), and in a lesser extent of the Sisophon Provincial Museum and Kratie Provincial Museum [rhe building of which was completed in 2016 but to our knowledge was never opened to the public] are not included in this national registry. 

Being a PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor, or Personal Home Page as it was initally designed) index, the database does not allow for research with keywords nor for refined search such as repatriated artefacts. It remains nevertheless an important research tool, and could be easily updated with new finds, restitutions or transfers if the CMS (Content Manager System) was brought to higher efficiency.

Nmc index 2
A sample of index card for one of the 98 Ganesh icons (all mediums) listed for NMC Phnom Penh. Ideally, it would be possible to order the results by medium, ascending or decending dates, inventory number, origin if known…

Developed by The Leon Levy Foundation through the Center of Khmer Studies (20042014) and the Cultural Antiquities Task Force, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh (20212022).

Read about the CKS 2004 – 2010 project Cataloguing Cambodia’s Treasures’ by Darryl Collins.

Tags: Khmer art, inscriptions, statues, museology