Topless Aspara: Art or Eroticism?
Feb 27th, 2009 by Steven
They were classical dancers who performed for kings and royalties only. They were the celestial Aspara dancers who appeared during the time of the Khmer Kingdom. These bare breasted dancers were immortalized in reliefs and carved in stones on the walls of phenomenal Angkor Wat in Siem Reap.
This painting, one of a few that appear on a Cambodian website, earned the ire of the Cambodian authorities, including the Ministry of Women Affairs. While some consider the paintings as art, others find it offensive and degrading, and that the creators have exploited the Aspara culture to promote eroticism.
As you can see, the painter includes a scene from Angkor Wat, a pillar with carvings of Aspara dancers, in the background. The painting really looks like a photographic image, lol.