What kind of wood is the Nguyen Dynasty throne made of? Why does it break so easily?

According to relic restoration experts, the broken Nguyen Dynasty throne was made of mahogany - a rare and durable wood.

National treasure Nguyen Dynasty throne before being broken - Photo: NHAT LINH

On May 26, Mr. Ho Huu Hanh, director of Hue Monuments Restoration Joint Stock Company, said that the national treasure, the Nguyen Dynasty throne, which was just broken, was made of mahogany, a rare wood that is highly durable and resistant to termites and weather.

Why was mahogany chosen to make the throne?

Mahogany has the scientific name Sindora Tonkinensis, is a large woody plant belonging to the legume family. In our country, mahogany is often called by names such as: lau mahogany, rosewood, oil mahogany, rosewood...

According to Mr. Hanh, under the Nguyen Dynasty, artisans mainly used mahogany to make royal furniture. This type of wood is common in Vietnam's tropical forests, especially in the forest areas of Quang Tri and Hue provinces...

Mahogany is popular for its toughness, durability, ease of processing, and resistance to termites. Most of the furniture and objects in the Nguyen Dynasty's royal court were made from this type of wood.

Later, when the demand for royal furniture increased, artisans began to use other precious woods such as rosewood, rosewood...

However, rosewood is very hard, making processing difficult. When assembling the parts together, they often break.

"Therefore, to ensure aesthetics and durability, ancient artisans often chose types of wood that were both flexible and could withstand strong impacts without cracking. Mahogany was often chosen to make royal items for this reason," Mr. Hanh explained.

A 1:1 restored version of the Nguyen Dynasty throne is displayed at Thai Hoa Palace after the throne was broken - Photo: NHAT LINH

Mr. Hanh also said that at the time of the restoration of Thai Hoa Palace in 2021, this treasure throne was brought to the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum for storage and display.

When the project to restore the palace and the Nguyen Dynasty throne was established, the scientific council also assessed whether it needed to be restored or gilded. However, through the assessment, the current state of the throne was still quite intact, so there was no need to restore or gild it, but to keep it in its current state.

Why is the throne fragile?

Explaining why the throne was easily broken, Mr. Hanh said that the armrest on the throne was made quite fragile. When the king sat on the throne, he also placed his hands very gently.

The throne was crafted mainly to symbolize supreme power for an entire dynasty and not for sitting on.

Another part, Mr. Hanh believes that this throne has existed since the time of King Gia Long, who founded the Nguyen Dynasty until today. Having gone through many wars, events, and time, and having been repaired under King Khai Dinh, the deterioration of its durability is inevitable.

Visitors to Thai Hoa Palace after the incident of the national treasure Nguyen Dynasty throne being broken - Photo: NHAT LINH

Most importantly, according to Mr. Hanh, the reason Mr. Ho Van Phuong Tam easily broke the armrest of the throne was mainly due to the technique of attaching the parts of the throne together.

According to him, to attach the wooden parts on the throne, ancient people used lacquer (a resin taken from the lacquer tree that often grows in the mountainous regions of the North).

This material is completely natural, and its adhesion is not as good as that of later industrial glues. Therefore, just by pulling it out with force, the wooden part of the throne's armrest can come off completely.

"When the armrest was pulled out, Mr. Tam used this wooden part to hit objects inside Thai Hoa Palace and used it as a weapon to threaten the security guard, so it broke into three pieces," said Mr. Hanh.

Restoring the Broken Part of the Throne: Simple

According to Mr. Hanh, it is completely possible to restore the broken part of the throne. He said that with the level of Vietnamese craftsmen and relic restoration experts today, reattaching and repairing the broken wooden parts on the throne is a simple matter and completely possible.

However, Mr. Hanh said that the restoration must follow strict procedures and regulations because this is a national treasure.

"It's easy to put it back together and there are many solutions. However, the important thing is that the original artifact has been damaged, it's extremely painful," said Mr. Hanh.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngai-vang-trieu-nguyen-lam-bang-go-gi-sao-de-gay-vay-20250526155233691.htm