HCM CITY (VNS) - A collection of more than 3,000 antiques belonging to Professor Duong Minh Thoi and his wife Ha Thi Ngoc was presented to the public at the HCM City History Museum on Thursday.

The couple began collecting antiques in the 1930s and decided to donate them to the museum last year. It is considered the biggest private collection in Viet Nam.

The artifacts are made of various materials, including iron, stone, glass, paper, wood, cloth, ivory, bone, and terra-cotta. Most of the items date from between 2,500 years ago to the beginning of the 20th century. they are from Viet Nam, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Germany, France and Turkey. Other objects are Vietnamese handicrafts.

Tran Thi Thuy Duong, director of the museum, said the collection was invaluable. From a professional standpoint, she said it was equivalent to a museum collection.

This is the second time that the museum has received a private collection as donation. Late antique collector Vuong Hong Sen bequeathed his entire property and collection to the museum in 1996. — VNS