everyday life
Clothing: |
Every written record kept by the Khmer people about life in the empire have today been lost or destroyed. The only written records that still exist are those written by Zhou Daguan. From what he has written we can learn about the kings and aristocrats as well as the ordinary people. In his writings, Zhou wrote that the men and women went bare-breasted and barefoot. Their clothing was simple: a cloth wrapped around their waists. Although ordinary women wore no hair ornaments, they could wear jewellery such as golden rings and bracelets. If women were particularly beautiful, they would be sent to court to serve the king or royal family.
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From the king down, the men and women all wear their hair wound up in a knot, and go naked to the waist, wrapped in only a cloth. When they are out and about they wind a larger piece of cloth over the small one...Although cloth is woven domestically, it also comes from Siam(Thailand) and Champa...Among ordinary people, only the women can dye the soles of their feet and palms of their hands. The men do not dare to...Junior officials and no others can wear cloth with a two-flower design. Among the ordinary people, only women can wear cloth with this design.
Zhou Daguan, A Record of Cambodia: The Land and its People
Zhou Daguan, A Record of Cambodia: The Land and its People
Homes: |
From Zhou Daguan, we also get some insights into the way ordinary people lived in their homes in Angkor.
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At the lowest level come the homes of the common people. They only use thatch for their roofs, and dare not put up a single tile. Although the sizes of their homes vary according to how wealthy they are, in the end they do not dare emulate the styles of the great houses...
Ordinary families have houses but nothing else by the way of tables, chairs, jars or buckets. They use an earthenware pot to cook rice in, and make sauce with an earthenware saucepan. For a stove sink three stones into the ground, and for spoons they use coconut husks...When serving rice they use earthenware or copper dishes from China; sauce comes in a small bowl made from the leaves of a tree, which doesn't leak even when it is full of liquid. They also make small spoons from the leaves of the nypa palm, which they spoon liquid into their mouths with, and throw away after using.
Zhou Daguan, A Record of Cambodia: The Land and its People
Ordinary families have houses but nothing else by the way of tables, chairs, jars or buckets. They use an earthenware pot to cook rice in, and make sauce with an earthenware saucepan. For a stove sink three stones into the ground, and for spoons they use coconut husks...When serving rice they use earthenware or copper dishes from China; sauce comes in a small bowl made from the leaves of a tree, which doesn't leak even when it is full of liquid. They also make small spoons from the leaves of the nypa palm, which they spoon liquid into their mouths with, and throw away after using.
Zhou Daguan, A Record of Cambodia: The Land and its People