Admire Champa treasures at the National Museum of History

60 typical artifacts made of precious materials from the most prosperous period of Champa will be displayed at the National Museum of History in the near future.

The exhibition “Champa Treasures - Marks of Time” will officially open at the National Museum of History from August 28.

From August 28 to October 2024, the exhibition "Champa Treasures - Marks of Time" will take place at the National Museum of History.

Champa is an ancient country that existed from 192 to 1832 in the central region of Vietnam today. Champa culture was influenced by Indian and Javanese culture, along with its own creations, creating artistic peaks such as My Son, Dong Duong, and Thap Mam styles...

Many temple relics and sculptures that still exist today show that Hinduism and Buddhism were the two main religions of the ancient Champa kingdom.

Champa flourished most in the 9th and 10th centuries. After the 15th century, the center of the Champa kingdom gradually moved to the South and took on a new character. From 1692 (when Lord Nguyen established Thuan Thanh on Champa land) to 1832 (when Champa officially annexed Dai Nam under the reign of King Minh Mang), issues of Champa history, culture, and art seemed to receive little research attention.

Accordingly, the Museum has coordinated with other units to research and select more than 60 typical artifacts made of gold and silver from this historical period (17th - 18th century) to introduce to the public, most of which are displayed for the first time.

The exhibition consists of 2 parts:

Part 1 is religious statues and mascots; part 2 is jewelry and objects bearing religious symbols and royal authority.

Part 1 will introduce some typical artifacts such as: Shiva statues, male and female gods, Ganesha statues, Buddha statues, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statues, Linga - Yoni, kosalinga, Shiva head, Nandin bull statue... made of gold, silver and studded with precious stones.

Like other ancient countries in the region, Champa received and was influenced by both major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Therefore, the most popular in Champa heritage are statues of gods, Buddhas and sacred animals, mascots of these two religions.

Part 2 introduces artifacts in the form of jewelry and objects symbolizing royal and religious authority, including: earrings, rings, necklaces, hairpins, combs, bracelets, gloves, belts, jewelry boxes, hats, crowns, hairnets... decorated with religious symbols and traditional beliefs of Champa art, especially Hindu gods such as: Brahma, Visnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Nandin, Garuda, Naga...

These are offerings to the gods or used in the Champa royal family. These artifacts are all very delicately displayed with high technical goldsmithing skills, and have special historical, cultural and artistic values.

Through the exhibition, the National History Museum hopes that the public at home and abroad will have the opportunity to admire antiques of unique historical, cultural and artistic value and gain a deeper understanding of a period of Champa's cultural history that seems to be little known, thereby, knowing how to appreciate, raise awareness of preserving and promoting the traditional cultural values ​​of the nation.

In addition, the exhibition also contributes to further promoting the role of the National History Museum as well as public museums in coordinating and supporting museums and private collections to promote heritage values ​​to the public.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chiem-nguong-bau-vat-champa-tai-bao-tang-lich-su-quoc-gia-284076.html