BELOVED MUSEUM - A visitor views antiques on display at the Cổ đổng kỳ quan: Nơi hội tụ các nền văn hoá (The Wonder of Antiquities: A Cultural Convergence Place) exhibition hosted by the History Museum in HCM City to celebrate its 45th anniversary. Photo courtesy of the museum
HCM CITY — The History Museum in HCM City has launched an exhibition of antique collections as part of its 45th anniversary celebration.
The Cổ đổng kỳ quan: Nơi hội tụ các nền văn hoá (The Wonder of Antiquities: A Cultural Convergence Place) exhibition showcases 150 objects from the museum’s rare collection highlighting fine arts from Việt Nam, China and Japan, and Indian art in Southeast Asia. Many of them are being introduced to the public for the first time.
The objects include Vietnamese copper containers used in rituals dating back to the 19th century.
Items made during the reign of King Minh Mạng of the Nguyễn Dynasty were engraved with Chinese inscriptions of the ideas from classic literature works of Confucianism, forming a system of political ideology.
Large-sized ceramic objects such as vases used by the Nguyễn royal family are on display as well.
The museum also introduces a collection of household items and statues of Buddhas highlighting the Vietnamese art of copper casting in the past.
The Chinese fine arts collection displays patterns and images carved on celadon, on blue and white ceramic items such as vases and tea sets, and ivory objects including fairy statues, seals, pen holders, and windshields.
Meanwhile, the Japanese collection presents Satsuma wares, a type of Japanese pottery originally from Satsuma Province in the 17th century.
Butsudan, a Japanese Buddhist shrine, is also being exhibited.
The exhibition highlights Indian art in Southeast Asia through statues of gods and reliefs with decorations influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. They were made of stone and metal belonging to the Óc Eo culture (1st – 7th centuries) and the Chămpa culture (2nd – 17th centuries).
The artefacts include gold jewellery, and a set of engraved wood paintings depicting the Hindu epic Ramayana, which narrates the struggle of the divine prince Rama to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana.
Hoàng Anh Tuấn, the museum’s director, said: “The exhibition marks a milestone of the museum. It is also the museum’s commitment to protect and spread the precious cultural value of the nation among the community and next generations.”
The History Museum in HCM City was formerly the Museum of Blanchard de la Brosse founded in 1929. It was the first museum in South Việt Nam.
The city People’s Committee issued a decision on August 23, 1979, to rename the museum.
The museum currently contains more than 43,000 documents and artefacts featuring the history and culture of Việt Nam and some Asian countries.
It is also home to 12 national treasures belonging to the art of Buddhism and Hinduism of Óc Eo culture and Chămpa culture in south and central Việt Nam.
The museum launches numerous activities each year to offer information, entertainment and cultural experiences to the community. Special exhibitions and exciting educational programmes for children are organised as well.
The exhibition will be open to the public until October 31. The museum is at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Street in District 1. – VNS
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