Special exhibition "Old Saigon ceramic statues - Art and heritage"

The exhibition "Old Saigon Ceramic Statues - Art and Heritage" introduces more than 50 typical artifacts from the 18th - 19th centuries. The exhibition is open to visitors from October 15 to November 17 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History (No. 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City).

Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Antiquities Association and a number of museum units organized a thematic exhibition "Old Saigon Ceramic Statues - Art and Heritage".

Saigon ceramics were born along with the process of exploring the Southern land, with famous ceramic kilns around Cho Lon area such as Cay Mai, Buu Nguyen, Dong Hoa, Hung Loi... Not only serving daily life, the kilns also crafted sophisticated worship statues, bearing the mark of Vietnamese culture, blending the influence of Buddhism, Taoism and folk beliefs.

The exhibition introduces more than 50 typical artifacts, divided into four thematic groups: Buddhist statues, Taoist statues, folk statues and architectural decorative statues.

Each group of artifacts represents an aspect of ancient people's spiritual life, from images of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Arhat, Tieu Dien to statues of Jade Emperor, Phuc Duc Tho Dia, Chua Tien Nuong Nuong or groups of relics decorating the roofs of communal houses, pagodas, assembly halls...

Notably, many statues have Chinese inscriptions clearly stating the kiln name, production location and year, helping researchers determine the origin, technique and historical value of ancient Saigon ceramics.

"Through this, we hope to convey the message that heritage conservation is not only about preserving and conserving artifacts but also about preserving the spirit and identity of the land," emphasized Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan.