The Sao Vang bronze drum was unearthed in the Sao Vang airport area in Tho Xuan district in Thanh Hoa province. The drum, a representative of the Dong Son culture dating back some 2,000 years, was declared a national treasure on January 18, 2024.

The drum's surface was cast with four toad statues attached on four sides. On the middle of the drum surface, there is an embossed 12-pointed star with peacock feather-shaped patterns alternating among the points of the star. The star is surrounded by 11 pattern rims. 

The decorative patterns on the drums are diverse, with many similarities to the Ngoc Lu, Huu Chung and Hy Cuong drums, displayed at the National Museum of History. 

The drum also has other motifs such as bands of people dressed in feathers and stilt houses with cupped roofs, which are rarely seen on Dong Son-culture drums in Vietnam, but are often found on other drums in Southeast Asia.

SaoV ang bronze drum represents the transition from style A of Dong Son drums in the early period and style C of Dong Son drums in the late period (according to Pham Minh Huyen, Nguyen Van Huyen and Trinh Sinh classifications). 

The model of Dong Son art was realism in the early stage, to complex stylization in the late stages, enriching Dong Son culture with its diversity.

The graphic art on Sao Vang drum is rich and vivid, which can be seen in realistic and geometric patterns. 

On the drum surface, the bands of patterns of different widths and narrows revolve around the star at the center, clockwise, like the rotation of the sun, expressing farmers’ views about the universe. The characteristics remain popular among the ethnic minority communities in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

With its large size, harmonious shape, and sophisticated patterns, the Sao Vang bronze drum is a unique artifact, rare and valuable in many aspects of Vietnamese history and culture. It represents the elite art of bronze drum casting of the Dong Son residents.

The decorative themes on the drum fully showcase profound knowledge and human concepts, as well as the talents, artistry, and spirit of ancient Vietnamese people. Along with the Ngoc Lu and Hoang Ha bronze drums, it is a symbol of Vietnamese culture.

“Dong Son culture has been developing and spreading throughout Southeast Asia. The 2,000-year heritage of the Vietnamese people, recognized by both Vietnamese and foreign scientists, is embodied in the Dong Son bronze drum. This is one of the most valuable treasures that history has passed down to the next generations,” Doan said.

Tinh Le