Search

This is How Wooden Treasures from 17the Century Tell Vietnamese History

This is How Wooden Treasures from 17the Century Tell Vietnamese History
National Museum of Vietnamese History | Avalokitesvara (Kuan Yin) with many eyes and arms, sculptor Truong, But Thap pagoda, Bac Ninh province, Restored Le, 1656 AD, crimson & gilded wood

Wood carving and painting is a profession with a long tradition in Vietnamese culture. In its long history of development, crimson and gilded objects with fine carvings, red paint, and sparkling gold, not only reflect the aesthetics and skills of craftsmen but also express historical values of Vietnamese culture.

The Vietnam National Museum of History is organising an exhibition showcasing more than 100 lacquered and gilded wooden artefacts, selected from its collection of woodworks that have been studied, collected and preserved for many years by the museum.  

Image: VietnamNet
Image: VietnamNet

 

It introduces nearly 100 objects dating from the Le and Nguyen dynasties, including statues and objects for worshipping with the decorations of Vietnamese sacred and mythical animals. In which, the unique and rare objects will be showed to the public for the first time.

The exhibition aims to introduce the artefacts to the public and foreign visitors, so that they may learn about the meaning and role of the crimson and gilded wooden objects, as well as historical and cultural values, in Vietnamese life.

Image: VietnamNet
Image: VietnamNet

 

Crimson and gilded wooden treasures are not only historical stories, but also artworks expressing the aesthetic thought and talent of artisans, containing ideals from history, art, customs, religion and beliefs of Vietnamese people.

The objects date back to the Le and Nguyen Dynasties (from 17th to early 20th century), a period in which the development of lacquered and gilded wares flourished, and are rich in form and varied in design, with decorative patterns and various techniques of processing. They include devotional statues, ritual objects, decorations and daily objects.

Image: VietnamNet
Image: VietnamNet

 

Lacquer on wood first appeared in Vietnam during the Dong Son Culture (over 2,000 years ago). Excavations in ancient tombs have discovered sophisticated native lacquer carvings, proving that Vietnamese wood carving has a long tradition.

Crimson and gilded wooden craft consists of two stages of painting and varnishing. The crimson stage entails covering the object with a layer of red or black paint. The gilded stage entails the application of a very thin gold leaf on the surface of the object.

Image: VietnamNet
Image: VietnamNet

 

The craft is the last stage in the chain of many professions, including carpentry, painting and gold making, stone and metal craft and even construction.

Not only do the crafts require perseverance, lacquered and gilded wares also require skills from the craftsmen. Folk artisans, with their quintessence of craftsmanship, have created products of high value, serving different needs in religion, beliefs and daily life.

Image: VietnamNet
Image: VietnamNet

 

Through ups and downs in Vietnam’s history and culture, at one time the craft seemed to disappear but it has now been restored and developed in many areas across the nation, as in Hanoi and Hue. Nowadays, lacquered and gilded beauty can be easily seen in many monuments, temples, pagodas and ancient architecture.

The exhibition will last until November 2017 at the Vietnam National Museum of History, No. 1 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.

 

 


Source : VietnamNet | Vietnam National Museum of History

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
View all posts

Thank you for reading until here