Silverwork dating back at least 500 years has been found in Cambodia, from the reign of King Ponhea Yat. Traditionally, silversmith’s workshops were supported by the Royal Palace, and there is still a concentration of silversmiths at Kompong Luong, near the former Phnom Preah Reachtrop (Oudong), which was used from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

During the French colonial era of the 19th and 20th centuries, the ateliers of the School of Fine Art flourished, exhibiting their products abroad and taking commissions. By the late 1930s more than 600 silversmiths were employed, filling orders from as far away as Egypt and South America.

While many of the forms are produced by men, much of the delicate filigree work is created by women. Many objects use 90 per cent pure silver and the quality of workmanship is very high. The silver is still flattened with a handpress and the wire is also made by hand, not factory-produced.