The South East Asia Department was a result of a merger between two major collections of Khmer art, between 1927 and 1931: the old Musée Emile Guimet collection -with the series of Cambodian artefacts built up by Etienne Aymonier (1844-1929)- and the collection of the Trocadéro Musée Indochinois of which Louis Delaporte (1842-1925) had been the founder and curator. Up until 1936, these collections were supplemented by material sent by the Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient, including the Banteay Srei pediment (MG 18193). The range of Khmer sculptures provides an illustration of Cambodian art from its origins up to the present day, and is unique in the West. It reflects the French contribution to knowledge of this prestigious civilization. The Harihara from the Maha Rosei Ashram (MG 14190, 7^th century), the Banteay Srei pediment (MG 18913, c. 967), and the head of Jayavarman VII (P 430, late 12^th/early 13^th century) are among the masterpieces of world sculpture.

A rare selection of Champa sculptures presents the main stages in the evolution of this ancient Indianized kingdom -formerly located in the centre and north of present-day Vietnam. Among these works, particular mention should be made of the great Shiva from Silver Towers (MG 18130, 11^th/12^th century).

While the section devoted to the arts of South East Asia is particularly rich in material from Cambodia and Indianized Vietnam (Champa) it also features a selection of works which provide a panoramic display of the arts of Thailand, Indonesia, Sinicized Vietnam, as well as Burma and Laos.