Cam Thuy bronze cauldron
The cauldron is cast in bronze, with a face diameter of 134.4 cm; a bottom diameter of 115 cm; and a height of 79.8 cm. The cauldron is cylindrical, with a slightly flared mouth, high beveled mouth, and a curved bottom. The cauldron is equipped with 6 large U-shaped handles, decorated with twisted ropes.
On the mouth of the cauldron are leaf patterns and two symmetrical lines of Chinese inscriptions: "Cam Thuy District Imperial Commissioner, Chinh Thong Linh Quan Cong, created/Nham Than year, 11th month, 28th day of the year". The inscription affirms that Chinh Thong Linh Kham Sai, the title of Quan Cong of Cam Thuy District, cast this cauldron on November 28th, Nham Than year and is also the owner of this cauldron.
Talking to PV of Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Trinh Dinh Duong, Director of Thanh Hoa Museum said that through the decorative patterns and Chinese characters about the year calculated according to the sexagenary cycle, it can be inferred that the Cam Thuy bronze cauldron was cast in 1752, around the middle of the 18th century, during the late Le Dynasty.
Cam Giang bronze drum
According to Mr. Trinh Dinh Duong, Director of Thanh Hoa Museum, the Cam Giang bronze drum has a face diameter of 73 cm, a foot diameter of 73 cm, a height of 41 cm, and weighs 60 kg. In the middle of the drum face is a 16-pointed star, followed by 9 decorative circles. Circles 1, 2, 3, and 9 are decorated with diamond-shaped patterns. Circle 4 is the image of a Lac bird flying counterclockwise. Circle 5 is a stylized human pattern (this is the largest pattern, the main pattern on the drum face). Circle 6, the image of a Lac bird is reproduced, but with a more realistic variation than circle 4. Circles 7 and 8 are geometric patterns of concentric circles, triangles, and comb teeth.
The drum body and back seem to repeat the patterns on the surface, with bands of human figures dressed as feathers, concentric circles in the middle, and interlocking diamonds. The drum dates back about 2,000 years, to the late period of the Dong Son culture.
Nua Mountain Short Sword
According to the representative of Thanh Hoa Museum, the sword was cast in bronze, 46.5 cm long, 5 cm wide, with a handle up to 18 cm long, weighing 620 grams. The short sword from Nua Mountain consists of two parts, the blade and the handle. The blade is shaped like a sugarcane leaf, thin, with two sharp edges, and the handguard is shaped like a buffalo horn. The handle is a round statue of a woman, looking straight, with her hands on her hips in a powerful manner, her head wrapped in a conical scarf, with grooves like a lotus bud.
Based on the costumes, jewelry and especially the body shape, it can be tentatively affirmed that the female statue on the Nua Mountain Short Sword bears the appearance of the wealthy aristocratic class in contemporary society. The image of the woman is honored with the charming beauty on the Nua Mountain Short Sword, as a reflection of a matriarchal era, which existed in the history of the nation more than 2,000 years ago.
The Nua Mountain Short Sword was found at the foot of Nua Mountain (in Trieu Son District, Thanh Hoa Province), where Trieu Thi Trinh raised the flag of uprising. Today, the temple dedicated to her has been ranked as a special national monument.
