The special value of three National Treasures at Thang Long Imperial Citadel

VHO - Among the 33 national treasures recognized by the Prime Minister in the 13th phase, three treasures are kept at the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center: Phoenix Head Collection of Thang Long Citadel, Ly Dynasty, 11th - 12th century; Royal vase of the Early Le Dynasty, 15th century; Truong Lac ceramic collection of the Early Le Dynasty, 15th - 16th century.

Artifact from the collection of Phoenix Head of Thang Long Citadel, Ly Dynasty, 11th - 12th century

These are priceless treasures, containing stories and sacred messages from the past.

Collection of phoenix heads of Thang Long citadel during the Ly dynasty

Collection of Phoenix Heads of Thang Long Citadel in the Ly Dynasty, 11th-12th century are round statues of various sizes. The phoenix head represents the phoenix in a moving position. The mane moves strongly with many curves, facing forward. The beak is long, the cheeks are wide, the crest is shaped like a slanted lotus leaf, facing forward. The eyes are large, round and prominent, the eyebrows are long and form a strip flying upwards; the large, wide ears are shaped to curve along the movement of the crest and mane.

The Phoenix Head of Thang Long Citadel is made of baked clay, the fine clay bone shows that the clay used as raw material was carefully fermented and processed before being molded. The entire pattern is carved by hand.

The collection of Phoenix Heads of Thang Long Imperial Citadel under the Ly Dynasty are typical and unique artifacts discovered underground in the archaeological site at 18 Hoang Dieu in the central area of ​​Thang Long Imperial Citadel under the Ly and Tran dynasties. All artifacts were discovered in locations with stable stratigraphy, not disturbed by later periods.

The collection represents the symbolic value of the architectural history of Dai Viet under the Ly Dynasty. The phoenix and the dragon are symbols of royalty, in which the phoenix is ​​often associated with the queen. The image of the phoenix-dragon couple represents complete happiness. With such symbolic meanings, the use of the phoenix image to decorate the architecture of the Ly Dynasty and the Tran Dynasty later seems to reflect the existence and harmony of Buddhism and Confucianism, between the divine and secular power in the art and sculptures of the Ly - Tran Dynasty.

The phoenix heads in this collection were found together with other relics and are one of the important evidences that help researchers identify the architectural roofs of the Ly and Tran dynasties. Therefore, the collection of phoenix heads discovered at Thang Long Imperial Citadel is not only an original artifact but also an important document with value for the study of architectural art and sculpture of the Ly dynasty in the 11th - 12th centuries. The collection represents the symbolic value of the architectural history of Dai Viet under the Ly dynasty.

This collection of Phoenix Heads of Thang Long Imperial Citadel during the Ly Dynasty is an original, unique artifact.

Royal vase from the early Le dynasty, 15th century

Structurally, the Thang Long Imperial Citadel Vase has a structure consisting of a bottom, body, shoulder, mouth, spout and handle. With the vertical mouth structure and the shape of the vase, perhaps the original vase had a lid, unfortunately we have not found the lid of a similar type of vase yet.

The shape, structure and some decorative motifs of the Royal Vase create the image of a dragon hiding in the vase, in which the vase spout is the dragon's head. The dragon's head is shown in a raised position with realistically embossed horns and mane. The mane on the head is shown flying backwards and spreading out to all sides.

During the early Le Dynasty, Binh Ngu Dung was probably a type of wine container used in large banquets with many attendees.

The vase handle is depicted as part of the dragon's body with its fins raised high. Four dragon legs are sculpted on both sides of the vase's shoulders, two on each side. The legs depict a posture of kicking strongly backwards, the muscles are firm, pushing the dragon's body forward, making the dragon's body both graceful and powerful.

In addition, on Binh's shoulder, between the dragon's legs, there is a flower with a large pistil and small petals, like beads. This pattern further enhances the presence of the dragon.

The Imperial Vase of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, early Le Dynasty, was discovered in excavation pits at the archaeological site at 18 Hoang Dieu, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, which belongs to the Central Area of ​​Thang Long Imperial Citadel of the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties. The vase was discovered at a location with stable and reliable stratigraphy. The stratigraphic documents and the artifacts discovered together allow to confirm the authenticity as well as provide data to determine the age of the artifact.

The Imperial Vase of Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a testament to the high level of development of the ceramic production industry during the Early Le Dynasty.

This is an artifact of special historical and cultural value. The vase is evidence of the richness and diversity of utensils and items used in daily life in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel during the early Le Dynasty. In addition to popular high-class items such as bowls, plates, etc., the discovery of other types of high-class utensils and items such as vases and jars provides data for visualizing the life of the royal court during the early Le Dynasty.

The Royal Vase of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, during the early Le Dynasty, was probably a type of wine vessel used in large banquets with many attendees. From here we can imagine the richness of cultural life in the royal court.

Collection of Truong Lac pottery from the early Le dynasty, 15th - 16th century

Collection of Truong Lac ceramic cups, bowls, plates, early Le Dynasty, Thang Long Imperial Citadel includes 36 artifacts with different sizes, including: 9 cups, 6 bowls, 20 plates and 11 plate body pieces. The artifacts are completely handcrafted, so they are single and unique products, no other artifact is exactly the same as this one.

Collection of Truong Lac pottery from the early Le dynasty, 15th - 16th century

With its quality and decorative patterns, the Truong Lac ceramic collection has special historical and cultural value. According to scientists, these are items from Truong Lac Palace, an important palace in the Thang Long Imperial Palace during the early Le Dynasty in the 15th-16th centuries.

With such value, these artifacts are important documents for studying and clarifying the functions, existence and changes of the palaces in the Thang Long royal palace during the early Le dynasty in particular; the structure and operation of the palaces, palaces, etc. as an organization in the Thang Long citadel during the early Le dynasty in general. All of these issues are huge historical gaps of Thang Long that need to be answered.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/gia-tri-dac-biet-cua-ba-bao-vat-quoc-gia-tai-hoang-thanh-thang-long-117818.html