Potty trained: Stone-made peeing boy is among nine-objects in a collection by Le Trong Anh. — VNS Photos Doan Tung

HA NOI (VNS) — An exhibition of ancient and modern sculptures is being held at Maison Des Arts in Ha Noi.

The ancient sculptures are from collections by Nguyen Nga, Le Trong Anh and Phan Quoc Dung, while the modern sculptures have been made by veteran Le Cong Thanh, Ta Quang Bao and Thai Nhat Minh.

Anh's collection has nine objects, such as a sword, a lime-pot, two water pots and a peeing boy. All the objects are made of stone.

"I bought these objects from sand diggers in the northern Yen Bai Province," Anh said.

"I think it takes thousands years for these stone objects to get weathered.

"I first bought the lime-pot and showed it to my friend. A researcher, she told me that I should meet the sand diggers and ask them for more."

The collection is being displayed for the first time.

Collector Dung, from northern city of Hai Phong, is showcasing his earthen small statues, which depict diverse activities from the daily lives of ancient people.

It was not difficult for Dung to buy the earthen statues because they were not valuable to antique dealers.

Croc fight: Collection by Phan Quoc Dung shows warriors struggling with crocodiles.

"Warriors with axe and hammer, riding elephants and sailing boats show glimpses of daily life of ancient Vietnamese people on the river," Dung said.

Sculptures of warriors struggling with crocodiles is unique in Viet Nam.

It is the second such exhibition, following the first in 2013, held in Hai Phong on the occasion of the National Tourism Year for the Red River Delta-Hai Phong.

Nga's collection is made of gems. The precious objects are among 200 items that Nga collected over 15 years from Ninh Binh Province.

The collections by veteran modern sculptor Thanh, Bao and young Minh show the depth of their own identities. They found quasi-primitive forms of expression, the exhibition's curator Nga said.

"We hope that about 100 sculptures at the display will be seen as evidence, in accordance with the latest archaeological research mentioned in the books entitled New Lighton, a Forgotten Past and The Drowned Continent of Southeast Asia by Wilhelm Solheim II and Stephen Oppenheimer, respectively," the curator said.

"Solheim said the cradle of civilisation of humanity was in South-East Asia."

The display will run till December 18 at 22A, Hai Ba Trung Street, Ha Noi. — VNS