Too many Nguyen Dynasty thrones?
Many images of different Nguyen Dynasty kings sitting on the throne at Thai Hoa Palace were posted by Nho Tuc on the group People who love Vietnamese Pagoda Heritage. "Has anyone noticed that the dragon head on the throne is different?... is it a different throne or is it the old throne where the king sat or why is there a change in the armrest of the other throne and which throne is the national treasure?", Nho Tuc shared.
King Bao Dai on the throne
PHOTO: DOCUMENTS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE DEPARTMENT
In the images of King Thanh Thai and King Bao Dai sitting on the throne, the throne's armrest also has a dragon head. However, the shape of the armrest is not the same as the national treasure, the Nguyen Dynasty throne, which was broken at Thai Hoa Palace last month. The dragon mane of the national treasure is erected and covers a much larger area than the image of the throne posted by the Nho Tuc account.
Another image also posted in the group is the throne given by King Thanh Thai to French officer Pierre-Paul Rheinart in 1889. Accordingly, this officer was given the title "Luong quoc quan vuong" (the words written in the photo caption, according to information from the website of Domfront City, France - TN ), which the French interpreted as equivalent to a prince. The gift from King Thanh Thai was brought back by the officer and given to Domfront, and is currently kept here. Images of the throne were also posted on the city's website.
According to the image, the throne has a gilded dragon with a large mane at the top. The throne also has two accompanying unicorns below. Photo documents of King Bao Dai show that these two unicorns are for the emperor to put his feet on.
The throne given by King Thanh Thai to the French officer
PHOTO: TRINH NGUYEN SCREENSHOT
According to the National Treasures Records, the Nguyen Dynasty throne was placed in the middle of Thai Hoa Palace - the center of the government of the entire unified Vietnam under the Nguyen Dynasty, where the court held important events of each king's reign. During the 143 years of the dynasty, through many kings, the Nguyen Dynasty throne never changed its function or position, witnessing many ups and downs of the supreme position in the Nguyen Dynasty, whether it was hereditary succession or arranged by the court.
The problem here is that in the photo of the last king of the Nguyen Dynasty - Emperor Bao Dai - sitting on the throne, the throne armrest does not look like the national treasure throne armrest. This photo is also in the national treasure dossier, but in the explanation of the national treasure Throne of the Nguyen Dynasty, there is no explanation for the difference in the image of the throne armrest.
This makes those who discuss the Nguyen Dynasty throne very curious, focusing on a number of questions: How many thrones were there in the Nguyen Dynasty? Did each king have his own throne (in addition to the common throne for all kings placed in Thai Hoa Palace)? Why did the last emperor's throne have an armrest that did not look like a recognized national treasure? Was there any restoration of the throne that was not recorded?...
Will restore according to the treasure records
The throne will be restored according to the records.
PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
Currently, the Nguyen Dynasty Throne Restoration Council has been established. In addition to experts in Hue who have been involved with the heritage for a long time, there are also museum experts sent by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. A source from the cultural sector said that after the restoration council meeting on June 1, the experts will restore the damaged Nguyen Dynasty throne according to the national treasure records. "The throne will be restored according to the recognized treasure records," the source said. The repair is also considered not too difficult.
That means the gilded dragon head with its large mane will be kept as it is in the treasure records. The image of the pair of dragons on which the emperor stands as in the photo archives will not be restored. This, according to information from the cultural sector, is to "ensure the correct records". In addition, there is currently no specific information about the size of the pair of dragons.
It must also be added that, according to information from the personal Facebook of Dr. Tran Duc Anh Son (who measured and described the throne since 2005): "As for the detail of the two ends of the throne's arms being repaired from a simpler stylized dragon head shape to two elaborately carved dragon heads and painted with gold, it is not clear when the repair was made, but it must have taken place after August 1945 and before April 1975. I have not found exact documents about this repair in the documents currently stored at the Hue Monuments Conservation Center."
Although the above restoration direction can be considered discreet, it is not enough to satisfy the increasing questions and concerns of heritage lovers. The public wants more specific information to be added to the dossier of national treasures of the Nguyen Dynasty Throne/Throne. Or, there are also opinions that want to re-establish a dossier of restoration of the Thai Hoa Palace Throne in accordance with historical documents. Regarding this, perhaps the cultural sector should have a "hotline" to receive more information from many sources. It is very possible that the historical gaps surrounding the throne will be gradually filled over time.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phuc-che-ngai-vang-trieu-nguyen-the-nao-185250601225614742.htm
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