Viet Nam News
BINH DINH — Ancient Binh Dinh ceramics were found to be influenced by both Vietnamese and Cham artisans.
This statement was made at an international seminar themed “Binh Dinh ancient ceramics – Vijaya kingdom and its relationship with Thang Long Citadel of Dai Viet (the 11th-15th century)”.
The seminar, held last Saturday by the Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences in the southern city of Quy Nhon, was attended by 80 local and international scholars and researchers from 10 countries, including America, France, Japan, Thailand and Australia.
Among the topics discussed at the seminar were Cham ceramics in relation to Viet Nam ceramics and the ownership of ancient Binh Dinh ceramics, both of which drew attention from researchers.
Vice Chairman of Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences, Bui Nhat Quang, said the ownership of ancient Binh Dinh ceramics is worth discussing because the ceramic producing techniques of Binh Dinh kilns was quite different from the traditional techniques of the Cham people.
“We deemed that in the history of establishment and development of Truong Cuu ceramics (in An Nhon, Binh Dinh), there might have been the presence of Vietnamese ceramic artisans,” director of Research Centre for Imperial Citadel, Bui Minh Tri, said.
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| Beautiful bowls: The decorative patterns and glazes on the ceramic items reflected the fine skill of ancient artisans in firing and glaze-coating techniques. — Photo dantri.com.vn |
Besides its rich Cham cultural heritage, which is reflected in the impressive temples and towers, Binh Dinh has also been well known as a centre of ceramics for centuries.
“That the ancient Binh Dinh ceramics were found in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel is an interesting discovery,” said Tri.
The artifacts found, which are diverse in shape, color of glaze and decorative patterns, are all of fine quality. They include vases, jars, bowls and plates dating back to the 15th century, according to Tri. “The Vijaya kingdom might have given these items to the Thang Long royal court as a tribute,” said Tri.
Chairman of Viet Nam Association of Archaeology, Tong Trung Tin, has studied the ceramics of Thang Long in the Ly-Tran dynasty and ceramics in Go Sanh, Binh Dinh. He found that there is a similarity in shapes and the single-color glaze between the ceramics items produced in these two kilns.
Tin said the technique of making glaze ceramics in Go Sanh was brought about by the Vietnamese people. Vietnamese ceramics artisans also got together with the Cham people to make Viet-Cham ceramics, which symbolised the Dai Viet-Champa relation in the late 14th-15th century.
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| Piece of art: Cham’s ceramics have a close relationship with that of Viet Nam. — Photo baobinhdinh.com.vn |
“The Vietnamese ceramics artisans, with their techniques in glaze ceramics, found a way to appear in Binh Dinh ceramic kilns and played the role of chief ceramic maker who worked with local ceramic artisans to create the unique and fine Go Sanh ceramics,” said Tin.
"Cham’s ceramics have a close relationship with that of Viet Nam,” said Dr Dang Van Thang from HCM City’s University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
The presence of Cham ceramics in Thang Long Imperial Citadel reflected the close relationship between Champa’s Vijaya state city (Binh Dinh now) and Viet Nam’s former capital of Thang Long in history, said Le Dinh Phung from the Institute of Archaeology.
Besides, the seminar also discussed the characteristics, roles and values of Binh Dinh ancient ceramics in Asia marine trade networks, as well as the economic and cultural exchange between Champa and Viet Nam.
The term Champa refers to a collection of independent Cham polities that extended across the coast of what is today’s central and southern Viet Nam from approximately the 2nd century (192) through the 19th century (1832).
Binh Dinh was the former state city, Vijaya, the political and economic centre of the ancient Champa kingdom in the 15th century.
From the 11th to 15th century, Binh Dinh was known as the centre of ceramics with six concentrated ceramic production kilns. — VNS