Nguyen Dynasty throne: the only one still intact, King Bao Dai sat last

On May 24, a man visiting Thai Hoa Palace, part of the Hue Imperial City, climbed over the protective fence and broke some parts of the throne. The incident angered many people.

The Nguyen Dynasty throne - a national treasure that is more than 200 years old, is a symbol of the king's authority. Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage Le Thi Thu Hien said that immediately after receiving the information, the unit sent a dispatch to the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, requesting an inspection, assessment of the current situation, and proposal of solutions for handling and preservation according to the provisions of the law on cultural heritage.

"This is a heartbreaking incident that happened in a strictly protected area. Luckily, there is a copy of the throne and detailed images when the dossier was made to recognize it as a national treasure, so it is likely that the original can be restored," said Ms. Hien.

The Nguyen Dynasty throne is a symbol of power of the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam. Unlike many thrones that are put in museums or displayed under glass, the artifact is solemnly placed in the middle of the Thai Hoa main hall, the ancient ceremonial space of the royal family. This creates a "living museum", where visitors can fully experience the solemn and sacred atmosphere of the royal dynasty.

This is where the king often holds court with his mandarins, the center of royal ceremonies, where important events such as coronation, grand court, reception of ambassadors and national ceremonies take place. The throne is therefore a symbol of power and represents the absolute majesty of the Son of Heaven, the one who is "given the mandate of heaven".

The throne is 101 cm high, 72 cm wide, and 87 cm long. The base is 118 cm long, 90 cm wide, and 20 cm high. On top of the throne is a splendid gilded canopy. The artifact is elaborately crafted from precious wood, gilded with red lacquer and gilded, and intricately carved with dragon and cloud motifs, an image symbolizing the emperor in Eastern thought. The back of the throne stands out with the image of "long van khanh hoi", surrounded by dragon heads facing the center, representing the world submitting to one source, the king is the center of the universe. Not only does it have historical and political value, the throne is also a unique work of art of Hue royal art.

According to researchers, the throne dates back to the reign of King Gia Long or King Minh Mang, that is, in the early 19th century, the period that laid the foundation for the ritual system and centralized power of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Among the dynasties that existed in Vietnamese history, the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) was the dynasty that marked the end of the feudal regime and was the last dynasty in history. In particular, the Nguyen Dynasty was also the only dynasty that left posterity with an intact throne to this day, a valuable artifact bearing a strong historical and cultural mark. Among the kings, Tu Duc had the longest reign, from 1847 to 1883, and left many profound marks in history. King Bao Dai, the last person to sit on this throne, was also the last king of the dynasty.

The Nguyen Dynasty throne has never been lost or left Thai Hoa Palace for more than 200 years. Even when the feudal regime collapsed in 1945. The throne was only restored once under King Khai Dinh, in the years 1916-1925. During that time, the canopy above the throne was renovated, changing from silk brocade to gilded wood and was elaborately carved.

After 1975, the restoration and conservation of the throne was stepped up. In particular, since the Hue Monuments Complex was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage in 1993, the throne has become one of the key conservation areas. In January 2016, the artifact was recognized as a national treasure.

Mr. Le Cong Son, Deputy Director of the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, said that Thai Hoa Palace has two security points and a surveillance camera system. At the time of the incident, security officers saw Ho Van Phuong Tam, 42 years old, residing in Huong Long Ward, Phu Xuan District, acting abnormally, so they invited Tam to go to the back of the palace. However, this person returned and sneaked into the area displaying the throne, screaming and breaking the front left armrest. To prevent Tam from acting rashly and destroyin.g other artifacts, security guards approached from a distance, reminded Tam to go outside, and at the same time called to request additional support.

At 12:10 p.m., they subdued Tam and reported to Dong Ba Ward Police to make a report. Currently, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center has directed the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum to put a replica of the throne on temporary display.

With the damaged Nguyen Dynasty throne, the Center will invite experts and artisans to evaluate and develop a suitable restoration plan; at the same time, there will be plans to increase forces and means to ensure the safety of the system of displayed artifacts.

Mr. Ho Huu Hanh, Director of Hue Monuments Restoration Joint Stock Company, said that the throne as well as the wooden antiques of the Nguyen Dynasty were mostly gilded with gold. The type of wood commonly used for the ancient royal antiques was go wood (popularly known as mahogany). Later, there was the appearance of trac wood (ie huynh dan)... Go wood is commonly distributed in the Southeast Asian forest area (in our country it is now rare), a precious wood of group 1, the wood is highly durable, hard, water-resistant, and termite-resistant.

According to Mr. Ho Huu Hanh, today, skilled wood carving artisans are capable of remaking exquisite thrones that are no less than those of the talented craftsmen of the past. However, the value of the throne is the value of an antique with an original nature, so restoration will clearly not meet the original conservation value. Except in special cases like the incident that just happened, the damaged part must be restored.

Artisan Phan Canh Quang Thuan (52 years old, in Thuy Bieu Ward, Hue City), who is in charge of gilding the Thai Hoa Palace restoration project recently, said that gilding is made from the resin of the lacquer tree in the northwestern mountains of our country. Gilding is a decorative technique of gilding (thinly-plated pure gold (or gold leaf) on the surface of objects with carved patterns (or gilded entirely) to create a natural, eye-catching and luxurious golden color. The king's throne in the past was gilded in places with carved patterns and this is a very elaborate decoration process, requiring highly skilled workers.

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