Three rare national treasures - a Buddhist relic container, a dagger with a serpent-and-elephant handle, and a bronze ladle decorated with elephant imagery - are offering rare insight into Vietnam’s ancient spiritual and artistic traditions.
The relic container was discovered during excavations at the Thap Nhan archaeological site in Hong Long Commune, formerly Nam Dan District, carried out by the Institute of Archaeology in collaboration with the Nghe Tinh Museum between 1985 and 1986.
According to excavation reports, this may have been the first time such a sophisticated Buddhist relic container had ever been found in Vietnam.
The artifact has a rectangular shape measuring 8cm long, 5cm wide and 5.5cm high. It consists of a lid and body, both crafted using cold-hammering techniques.
The lid curves upward like the roof of a boat, with edges extending slightly beyond the body. Its surface is decorated with six-petal floral motifs arranged inside rectangular frames. Around the body runs a continuous lotus pattern forming an ornamental border.
Experts date the artifact to the period of Chinese domination, around the 7th to 8th centuries.
The discovery of the object inside Thap Nhan Tower holds not only archaeological significance but also provides evidence that Buddhist relics - sacred symbols of Buddhism - appeared in Vietnam relatively early, helping historians better understand the emergence of Buddhism in Nghe An.
The second national treasure is a dagger featuring a handle sculpted with serpents holding the legs of an elephant.
The artifact was discovered at the Lang Vac archaeological site in Nghia Hoa Commune, formerly Nghia Dan District, during excavations in 1973.
The dagger measures 12.3cm in length and 3.5cm in width.
Its handle depicts two intertwined serpents with rounded bodies. One serpent has a crest while the other does not. Both open their mouths upward to support the four legs of an elephant positioned above them.
The composition creates an image that is both powerful and highly symbolic.
According to researchers, serpent imagery in ancient Vietnamese culture was closely associated with fertility beliefs and totemic worship, reflecting ideas of growth and abundance among agricultural communities.
The pairing of male and female serpents symbolizes harmony between yin and yang and hopes for prosperous harvests.
This is considered a one-of-a-kind original artifact and the only known dagger discovered with a handle shaped as serpents holding elephant legs.
Beyond its role as a weapon, the artifact is also regarded as an outstanding artistic work of the Dong Son culture, helping affirm the importance of the civilization within the region.
The third national treasure is a bronze ladle decorated with an elephant figure, also unearthed at the Lang Vac site during excavations in 1981.
The artifact measures 18.5cm long and weighs around 200g. It belongs to the Dong Son cultural period dating back roughly 2,000 to 2,500 years.
The ladle was discovered inside a burial site formed by two jars placed upside down over one another.
Part of the ladle bowl had a hole that ancient craftsmen repaired using bronze.
The most remarkable detail lies in the handle, which features a sculpted elephant figure at its tip. Decorative leaf-vein patterns are engraved along the elephant’s back and the handle itself. Near the top of the handle are two protruding triangular points.
Experts consider the object a representative example of sculptural artistry on Dong Son-era utensils.
To date, no other ladle discovered in Vietnam features an elephant motif as refined and distinctive as the Lang Vac artifact.
Vietnamnet.vn
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