Phnom Penh: A Japanese NGO, Caring for Young Khmer (CYK), led by its Director Ms. Harumi Sekiguchi, has handed over 40 pieces of Hol Pidan to the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to be displayed at the National Museum of Cambodia. The handover ceremony took place at the National Museum of Cambodia on Feb. 4 under the presidency of H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, and H.E. UENO Atsushi, Ambassador of Japan to Cambodia.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the donation aims to ensure the sustainability of the preservation, care, and promotion of the unique heritage of Khmer silk weaving. It also seeks to provide access and convenience to Cambodian silk weavers who wish to study the forms and designs on silk fabrics, as stated by the Ministry of Culture in a news release.

In 2014, Ms. Harumi Sekiguchi handed over Hol Pidan to the National Museum of Cambodia twice, first with 23 pieces and then with 2 pieces. The museum expressed the hope that the public would consider donating other artifacts as national treasures, emphasizing that these artifacts serve as living documents for the dissemination and study of the intangible heritage left by Khmer ancestors.

Last year, residents of Prey Kabbas district in Takeo province contributed three pieces of Hol Pidan to the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Asian Traditional Textiles Museum in Siem Reap province. Hol Pidan generally depicts stories and patterns that hold cultural significance in Cambodian society.