Bridging Ceramic Interconnections: Ceramic Roof Tile Production and Consumption between Angkor and China – Insights from a Collaborative Museum Exhibition in Cambodia

Wong Wai-yee Sharon

This paper examines the inter-regional networks of ceramic roof tile production and consumption linking Angkor, Cambodia, and Guangzhou, China. It highlights how local innovation and global connections impacted the development and manufacture of architectural ceramics. Although East Asian museums have studied and exhibited ceramic roof tiles, their broader Southeast Asian context remains underexplored. Using a recent collaborative archaeological exhibition (2024–2026) at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum, this case study explores how Cambodian artisans navigated geo- social choices and technological emulation in response to Chinese ceramic traditions. This paper makes important observations about the specific choices made in emulating the roof tile tradition. Roof tile manufacture and usage were ways for Khmer rulers to establish the legitimacy of their polities in Mainland Southeast Asia. Through archaeological evidence, exhibition curation, and the integration of ArtTech technologies, including 3D scanning, extended reality (XR), and artificial intelligence for multilingual access and digital visualisation- the project offers new approaches for interpreting and sharing the social and historical significance of architectural ceramics to the exhibition audience and Khmer communities.