VietNamNet Bridge – It is a great regret that none of more than 100 seals of the Nguyen emperors arein Hue City today.

The heaviest royal seal made of 10.5kg of pure gold is now displayed at the Museum of National History

"Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty and other kings of Vietnam before all took their seal named ‘Bao ty’ as the symbol of the supreme power of themselves and the monarchy. The seal that is made of jade is called ‘Ngoc ty”, thosemade of gold and silver or of gold-plated silver are called ‘Kim Bao ty’. Therefore the king’s seals are considered national treasures,” said historian Le Van Lan.

"For most tourists, it's hard to accept the feeling that they visit Hue royal citadel without seeing the most precious antiques of Hue. Hue is being invested in by the state to become one of the greatest cultural centers of the country and the region, so the cultural heritage that belongs to Hue must be returned to the ancient city," said Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Centre for Conservation of Hue Monuments.

Dr. Hai said that according to historical documents, in 143 years of existence, the Nguyen Dynasty made more than 100 royal seals of both jade, gold and silver.

According to researcher Phan Thuan An, the Nguyen Dynasty made and used more than 100 seals made of gold and jade, not to mention the seals of aristocrats.

Besides the king’s seals, the king’s grandmother, mother, wife and concubines also had gold or silver seals. There were also jade seals made for each emperor after his death, named after the king’s name.

Dr. Hai said that of the 93 jade and gold seals of the Nguyen Dynasty, there are two belonging to the Nguyen Lords. Both of them were castin 1709, under Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu. Twelve seals were made under the reign of Emperor Gia Long (1802-1820); 15 under the reign of Emperor Minh Mang (1820-1840); 10 in the period of King Thieu Tri (1841-1847); 15 in the time of Emperor Tu Duc (1848-1883); only one each in the period of Emperor Kien Phuc (1884) and Ham Nghi (1885); five for the Emperor Dong Khanh (1885-1888); 10 for Emperor Thanh Thai (1889-1907); 12 for King Khai Dinh (1916-1924); and 8 for King Bao Dai (1925-1945).

Of the 13 emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, three kings of Duc Duc, Hiep Hoa and Duy Tan did not have their own seals.

Among the gold seals of the Nguyen Dynasty, the one named “Hoang de chi bao” is the heaviest, weighing up to more than 280 taels (almost 10,5kg). The seal called “Sac menh chi bao” has smaller weight (over 223 taels) but it has the largest surface (14 cm x 14cm). For the jade seals, the one with the largest surface is 10,5cm x 10,5cm.

Gold and jade seals have different functions.

The seal named “Dai Viet Quoc Nguyen Chua Vinh Tran Chi Bao” made under the reign of Nguyen Lords was considered a family treasure and it was handed downed through Nguyen emperors.

The seals called “Phong tang chi bao” and “Sac menh chi bao” were used to stamp on conferment documents for mandarins in the country.

The one named “Kham van chi ty” was only used on cultural documents. The “Tri lich minh thoi chi bao” seal was used on annual calendars.

The top seal is the “Hoang de chi bao” and it was only stamped on the most documents on home and foreign affairs.

The “Hoang de chi ty” was only used on the occasion of general amnesty or change of date.

Besides the seals that were used in administration, there were seals that symbolize titles, which usually went with golden book (Kim Sach), seals for worship (for dead emperors) or seals that were stamped on poems or paintings only.

The most special seal is the “Trieu dinh lap tin”, which was castby the French as a gift for Emperor Dong Khanh in 1887. This seal was only stamped on the documents exchanged between the two countries. The surface of the seal has the letters “Le Governement de la Republique Francaise A S. Dong Khanh Roi D’ Annam” (The French Government presents to Mr. Dong Khanh, the Emperor of An Nam).

All the royal seals have left Hue

The seal called “Sac menh chi bao”, which was made for Emperor Minh Mang (photo taken from the book "Royal seals of the Emperors and Queens of the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam”)

Researcher Phan Thuan An said the priceless artifacts that French scientist Paul Boudet saw at the palace of Can Thanh in 1942, those that Emperor Bao Dai handed over to the revolutionary government, the antiques at the Hue royal palaces and some others in the Hue citadel were shifted to Hanoi and stored at the Vietnam National History Museum.

In 1962, to ensure the safety of this valuable collection, the Vietnam National History Museum moved the antiques to the warehouse of the State Bank of Vietnam.

In 2007, the State Bank of Vietnam handed over the entire precious artifacts back to the Vietnam National History Museum, including 85 royal seals.

This collection includes the items of the Nguyen emperors and the royal family, which are unique, such as the hats of the kings, gold books, gold and jade seals, the king’s swords, the daily-use items of the kings, the worship items of the Nguyen Dynasty and many documents containing cultural value of the last feudal dynasty of Vietnam, according to the book "Royal seals of the Emperors and Queens of the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam”.

In October 2010, a collection of 17 gold and gem artifacts of the Nguyen Dynasty was on display on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi. The collection won special attention from the public.

According to researcher Phan Thuan An, the  book only mentioned part of the 800kg of antiques of the Nguyen Dynasty that was brought to Hanoi. At that time, only light and small items were selected to move to Hanoi. The heavy ones, such as the throne, the king’s palanquin, stone-made screen of King Minh Mang, etc. were left in Hue.

So today, the Museum of Hue Royal Antiquities still keeps some treasures of different materials left by the Nguyen Dynasty. However, the museum does not any seal or any gold book, which are the most valuable artifacts of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Apart from gold and silver pearls publication in Hue is also no longer any policy 1 Roll needle. Photo is Kim King of Imperial Exam System Nguyen

Ms. Huynh Thi Anh Van, Director of the Museum of Hue Royal Antiquities, said that there are a few antiquities made of gold at the museum. The cooperation to bring Hue precious antiques from the Vietnam National History Museum back to Hue was discussed between the two museums, she said. However, it would be a long trip to take some antiques, including the gold and jade seals from Hanoi to Hue.

Currently, the Museum of Hue Royal Antiquities is exhibiting a collection of seals of the Nguyen Dynasty, including a number of seals made of ivory of King Tu Duc and one gold-inlaid ceramic seal imitating the “sac menh chi bao” seal of King Minh Mang (the real one, made of 8.3kg pure gold, is now at the Vietnam National History Museum in Hanoi) and some copper and silk books.

Dai Duong

To be continued...