Nakhon Thom [Angkor Wat], Cambodia. Photograph by John Thomson, 1866.

A large ancient bas-relief sculpture, carved in a wall of uncoursed stone, shwoing an elephant with a mahout. Almost identical to Thomson's negative number 450

The twelfth-century royal temple-mausoleum of the god-king Suryavarman at Angkor Wat is constructed according to sacred geometric principles. The four gateways are aligned to the four cardinal points and the whole kingdom is designed to be in harmony with the elements

1866.

1 photograph : glass photonegative, wet collodion ; glass approximately 25.5 x 30.5 cm (10 x 12 in.)

Elephant sculpture, Nakohn Thom city, Cambodia. extremely ancient 34 Bears Thomson's negative number: "436"

This is one of a collection of original glass negatives made by John Thomson. The negatives, made between 1868 and 1872, were purchased from Thomson by Sir Henry Wellcome in 1921

Wellcome Collection 19124i