Wooden “Vases”

In the West, large costly ceramic vases are a treasured part of Chinese culture.  Sometimes displayed in the homes of the wealthy, they are mostly found in museums and exhibits.

Their Cambodian counterpart are the large wooden vase-shaped objects, made from a single piece of a very expensive luxury wood.  They are quite common despite their price.  At least one of the houses Maryknoll rented as an office had the “vases” displayed in the entrance way and living room.

This ordinary wooden furniture store prominently displays a range of sizes of the big wooden objects.
This picture emphasizes the massiveness of the “vases.”   These are eight feet tall and more than three feet in diameter.
Another illustration of the sheer size of these vases.
Another shop with a variety of sizes.  It kills my soul to think of a beautiful tree cut down to produce one of these.
The demand for these “vases” (I wish I knew a better term for them) is so great that they are even sold–and bought–on the street.
One of the vases displayed as part of the decor in a hotel lobby. Notice the abundance of wood everywhere.
This man is selling wooden items from his living room but it also demonstrates how the vases are utilized in a home setting.