Price of Cement Statues Goes Up

BY SOY SOPHEA

Sim Vanarith, eyes narrowed and fixed on the concrete pillar before him applies delicate layers of golden paint. Working from the bottom to the top, he creates a vision of beauty to reflect the pearlescent brilliance of a Cambodian summer sun obscured by haze.

The 28-year-old Vannarith, with 8 years of experience producing cement Buddha statues said that he always cares deeply about his products because they are statues of the most important figures in the spiritual life of the nation.

He reported that his business is brisk, despite the rise in price earlier this year of the raw materials used to create the holy images. According to his accounts, the price of cement has risen to $84-$85 per tone, almost double the price of 5 years ago. This, coupled with the rise in iron prices, the two main raw materials of his trade, would inevitably be offset by a rise in the price of a Theravada.

He said that a small but complete Theravada home now stands at $30, compared to only $20 last year. A small plinth and a sleeping Buddha statue may now be bought for $80 whereas the same items only cost $60 last year.

Son Sanara, the owner of a statue shop located near the Independence Monument said that the price of all materials has increased. He said that he did not want to increase the price for theses sacred items but the current inflationary situation forced him do so.

Sanara said that he sold the statues and Theravada homes, as well as other items at a 30 percent higher price than previous years. “That which was sold last year for $25 I sell now for $30.” He said that the customers did not complain however. “They know the situation, everything has become expensive.”

Each day, he sells at least three Theravada statues and 10-15 Buddhist statues.

Sin Sokun, 55, said that she used to purchase cement Buddha statues and has spent nearly $1000 on four of these items over the last three years. A real connoisseur of statuary, she maintained that, “I really do not care so much about the price, but I do care deeply about the quality and beauty of the statues.”

She said that she bought the statues at a well-known statue workshop near Psar Chbar Ampov in Phnom Penh.

According to a layman at Prek Luong pagoda in Kandal province, his pagoda is full of Buddha statues housed in appropriate temples, all supplied by the charitable hearts of laypeople at the request of the temple committees.

Chan Thiv, 62, said that he too was concerned about the increase of the cement Buddha statues as he was in the process of raising money for six statues.

“It used to be the case that if we spent $1,000, we got four Buddha statues,” he said. “But now we have to spend $1,500 for the same number.”

Seng Vicheth, architectural student at a university in Phnom Penh, said that last month, he bought a new medium sized Theravada home for his villa located in Tuol Tompuong commune, Chamkarmon district. He did not however bemoan the fact that this year he had to spend $50 on these items, rather than the $35 he would have spent last two years.