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| The Stone Relief under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang on display at Hue Royal Antiquities Museum |
Recently, Thua Thien Hue Appraisal Council of Artifact and Profiles proposed for recognition as National Treasures organized a meeting for assessing and appraising the dossiers of Ngo Mon Bell, the Throne of Emperor Duy Tan, the Stone Relief under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang and the Dragon Statue under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri.
The representative of the Appraisal Council said that these four artifacts were selected based on the criteria for determining artifacts as National Treasures, such as uniqueness, originality, special value marking important historical events of the country, or association with historical figures, etc.
The artifact of Ngo Mon Bell is a unique work of art in terms of sculpture, painting, bronze casting industry under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang (1820-1841) in particular and Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) in general.
This is the one-and-only bell cast to be placed in the space of the main gate in the south, the largest one of the four main gates of Hue Imperial City. The bell was used in all royal court ceremonies, considered a symbol of the feudal dynasty. The National History Institute of Nguyen Dynasty specifically recorded the rules for casting bells, the methods, the quantity, as well as the usage specifications of each type of bell in “Dai Nam Thuc Luc”, depending on the nature, location and content of each ceremony.
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| The close-up look of the “Dragon Statue under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri” |
Along with the Nine Urns, Ngo Mon Bell is one of the bronze treasures cast during the reign of Emperor Minh Mang that is currently present in Hue Imperial City. It is both a tangible heritage belonging to the Complex of Hue Monuments and a treasure in the treasure trove of Vietnamese cultural heritage.
The royal court made a special throne for Emperor Duy Tan when he ascended the throne at the age of 7. Ascending the throne on September 5, 1907 (28th July, the Year of Goat), he became the 11th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945). To suit the Emperor’s stature, the royal court specially made a small-sized throne for use in the Emperor’s Inauguration Ceremony. The styles and decorative patterns on the throne incorporated the techniques of painting, gilding, embossing or carving, partly demonstrating the richness and diversity of wood carving art as well as the talent of contemporary artisans.
Compared to the size of the Throne of the Nguyen Dynasty at Thai Hoa Palace (recognized as a National Treasure in 2015), the Throne of Emperor Duy Tan is smaller. According to the assessment, however, with the historical context as well as the origin and characteristics as above, the Throne of Emperor Duy Tan currently being kept and preserved at Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities is a unique original artifact.
The Stone Relief under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang is the only marble artifact that retains the mark of Emperor Minh Mang, expressed through the poem “Ngu che” and the poem “Minh” carved on both sides of it. This is a typical and unique masterpiece, not only demonstrating the pinnacle of stone carving but also demonstrating the level and wood carving techniques of artisans under the NguyenDynasty.
Up to now, according to the research of Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities, no individual, organization or unit has published any information about an artifact with such descriptive characteristics, parameters and current status as the Stone Relief under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang kept by the Museum.
The Dragon Statue under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri is a set of bronze artifacts with historical, artistic and cultural value. It is the pinnacle of integration, simulating the shape of the “golden seals” cast from the reign of Emperor Minh Mang to that of Emperor Thieu Tri, with the shape of a “coiled dragon”. The original dragon statue was placed in front of the porch of Can Thanh Palace, which was the everyday living and working space of the Emperor. Through the typical dragon image of the Nguyen Dynasty, with motifs of dragons in the clouds, chrysanthemum – the sun and decorative patterns (clouds, fire knives, “cong” palindrome), symbolizing the role of an “Emperor”, carrying the “mandate of heaven”, expressing the firm position of royal power and the aspiration for a peaceful and prosperous country, as well as affluent people.
Mr. Ngo Van Minh, Director of Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities, informed that at the meeting, members of the Appraisal Council and experts determined that the four artifacts all had special values, such as being a unique artifact/set of artifacts, with all components kept intact as well as complete and sharp motifs and patterns, having a unique form of expression, reflecting typical historical, cultural and artistic value, and “100% of the members of the Appraisal Council agreed that the four afore-mentioned artifacts met the criteria for requesting National Treasure Recognition”.
“The artifacts proposed for recognition as National Treasure this time are all large in size and made of durable materials. The three artifacts include Ngo Mon Bell, which is currently placed at Ngu PhungPavilion - Hue Imperial City; the Stone Relief under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang, which is on display at Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities; the Dragon Statue under the reign of Emperor Thieu Tri, which is in the front yard of Duyet Thi Duong (Royal Theater) - Hue Imperial City. The Throne of Emperor Duy Tan is currently being preserved at the warehouse of Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities. We will soon put it on display for visitors and the public,” said Mr. Minh.
Thua Thien Hue is among the provinces with the largest number of National Treasures in the country, with 35 recognized artifacts/sets of artifacts, among which, the most notable are the legacies left by the Nguyen Dynasty – the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam – which are still almost intact.