side shape. The Ficus religiosa leaf shape. The Chan flower shape. The spiral snail shell shape. The mythical goose tail shape. The flame shape. The Phni Tes shape etc. These standard basic shapes are internally divided into more complex ornaments using one of the styles of division characteristic for a specific school of kbach. Schools: four major schools The four major schools recognized by contemporary kbach artists are: kbach angkor, kbach phñi tes, kbach phñi voa and kbach phñi phleung: kbach angkor (ក្បាច់អង្គរ) - the 'Angkorian style'; a vaguely defined style, though the common elements include snail-like curls called kbach hien (snails), kbach trabak chuk (lotus petals), etc. kbach phñi tes (ក្បាច់ភ្ញីទេស) - the 'exotic intertwining style'; a style which utilizes poppy flowers, buds, leaves, and pods; it somewhat resembles the acanthus of Western ornamentation kbach phñi voal (ក្បាច់ភ្ញីវល្ល) - the 'intertwining vine style' with animal heads and intertwining vines protruding from their mouths kbach phñi phleung (ក្បាច់ភ្ញីភ្លើង) - the 'intertwining flame style' which uses abstract flames in the shape of hamsa tails in an intertwining form Molding The molding in classical Khmer art comes down to a symmetry always observed between the low moldings and the high moldings with respect to a median horizontal axis. This horizontal axis is most often marked by a torus or a band. On both sides, are distributed, in reverse order, listels, covings, plinths or bands. A single exception to this law of symmetry consists in the moldings adorned with bands of lotus petals which are always adorned upwards; whatever the place of these moldings. These moldings are covered with a very busy decoration: button or lotus petals, geometric and floral ornaments sometimes mixed with small figurines and animals. Techniques Medieval tools were certainly lesser quality than contemporary instruments. The incisions on numerous decorative lintels were very deep, and required the precise removal of small localised pieces of stone. This was probably executed with the use of a small drill that created holes to break elements of the sandstone away. In the Angkor period lintel sculpture predominantly began with the stone being fixed into position first, and then being prepared for carving. The lintel face was roughly finished into structural divisions. Characters, motifs and designs were transferred onto the sandstone face with charcoal or chalk. Evidence of the operation of a specific artist or small group of artists, presumably from the same workshop, is