Giving to contribute to promoting the value of sustainable heritage
The Hue Monuments Conservation Center has just received two precious coats that once belonged to Queen Tu Cung - the mother of King Bao Dai. The artifacts were donated by Ms. Cong Ton Nu Kim Chi, a successor to the Nguyen Dynasty (currently living in the US) to show gratitude to her homeland and contribute to preserving the cultural values of the Hue royal court.
The first one is a red silk ao dai, a tight shirt in the style of a palace, with sophisticated decorative patterns. The second one was a knitch silk shirt, which was out of place and the fabric rotten in some places due to long storage time.
According to Ms. Kim Chi, in the early 1960s, Queen Tu Cung gave these two shirts to her adopted sister - a Vietnamese woman living in France - as a souvenir. In 1963, this sister brought the shirt back to France, and only gave it to Ms. Kim Chi in 1995. Since then, she has preserved the artifacts while living in France and later in the US.
With the desire to return two valuable relics to her homeland, Ms. Kim Chi authorized Mr. Pham Xuan Cuong (grandson of Mr. Buu Di - a Nine-Piece official of the Nguyen Dynasty) to represent her family in presenting the artifacts.
Speaking at the awarding session, Mr. Pham Xuan Cuong - representative of the family donated an antiques expressed his desire, the royal descendants of the Nguyen Dynasty still kept the precious artifacts that will continue to donate to the Hue Monuments Conservation Center, in order to contribute to preserving and promoting the heritage value effectively and sustainably.
Director of Hue Council of Hue Council Hoang Viet Trung expressed that two shirts are rare and valuable materials, cultural - cultural - historical value associated with the Nguyen Dynasty, reflecting the aesthetic values and royal family activities in the modern period. "We are committed to receiving, preserving and promoting the value of artifacts in accordance with the functions and provisions of the law," Mr. Trung said.
Immediately after the reception ceremony, Duc Tu Cung's 2 ao dai were displayed in the glass cabinet of the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum for visitors to admire.
More Nguyen Dynasty antiques return to Hue
Not only the two royal ao dai of Queen Tu Cung that were just donated by the royal lineage, in recent times, many artifacts of the Nguyen Dynasty have also been returned to Hue, contributing to enriching the ancient capital's heritage treasure.
Recently, at the ceremony to receive UNESCO Documentary Heritage and inaugurate key projects in Hue Imperial City, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center received the Nhat Binh dress that once belonged to Queen Nam Phuong. The dress was bought by the family of Ms. Phan Thuy Khanh and her son Tran Phan Anh (from Hue, living in Hanoi) from a private collection abroad and donated to Hue.
The dress is made from dark yellow men's saffron fabric, embroidered with phoenix, water hyacinth, and gourd bowl, and appeared in photos and documentary paintings of Queen Nam Phuong in the years 1949 - 1950 in France. This is a rare custom, with high historical and aesthetic value, reflecting the Queen's spirit of preserving national culture.
According to photographer Nguyen Tan Anh Phong, Nhat Binh shirt is made from dark yellow men's fabric, with a brocade lining of the same color. Decorating on the shirt includes patterns of phoenix, bowls and flowers symbolizing the auspicious. The hem of the loose embroidered pattern of Ba Tam Son, the column, and the collar is embroidered with ripe phoenix, which is dedicated to the Empress Dowager.
The return of this dress not only helps researchers explore more about the process of sewing and embroidering decorative costumes at the end of the Nguyen Dynasty, but is also a strong symbol of Queen Nam Phuong's love for traditional Vietnamese culture. Hopefully, in the future, the image of Ao Dai, whether traditional or modern, will always be spread, contributing to promoting Vietnamese culture to the world.
