Researcher Tran Dinh Son with a jade bowl from his ancient jade collection

The exhibition presents nearly 70 artifacts including jade pendants, inkstones, incense burners, bowls, plates, boxes, jars, seals, vases, pen rests, hairpins, hair buns with pins, statues of Quan Am bodhisattva, God of Fortune, monks holding staffs, Arhats subduing dragons, fairy statues, dragon statues... made from blue jade, white jade, blue and white jade or Tho Son stone. All are part of the personal collection of the researcher Tran Dinh Son, owner of the Nguyen Dynasty Commissioned Porcelain Museum. Among them, many artifacts are intricately carved with embossed and bas-relief designs.

In the East, jade symbolizes wealth and power. Beyond its rarity and beauty, jade is revered for its values, auspicious meanings, eternal, mystical, and blessed nature.

Researcher Tran Dinh Son reveals that these artifacts are partly inherited from his family's collection and the rest he has collected over decades. Most of these artifacts were crafted during the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty, Nguyen Lords, and the late Le Dynasty, serving various purposes in royal life such as ceremonial offerings, rewards for the royal family or nobles, and jewelry for the emperor and his consorts.

This exhibition, in addition to celebrating Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day, also marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Nguyen Dynasty Commissioned Porcelain Museum (2013-2023).

The exhibition is open to the public until December 6.

By N. MINH