National treasures on stamps
The launching of a new postage stamp sheet aims to raise the awareness and responsibility among people about national cultural treasure preservation and promotion.
The latest stamp sheet features four images of Vietnam’s national treasures, two of which date from the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945), according to the Ministry of Information and Communications.
| The new stamp sheet themed Vietnam’s national treasures. Photo: Vietnam Portal |
The 37x37mm stamps were designed in graphic style by artist Nguyen Du from Vietnam Post Corporation and will be available on the public postal network from July 31, 2021 to June 30, 2023.
According to the historian Le Van Lan, the Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty, like the previous monarchs of Vietnam, took their seals as the symbol of the supreme power of both themselves and the monarchy as a whole.
“Because the Emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty were diligent rulers, they produced a large number of seals and handed over to their successors,” he said.
“These seals sometimes only represent the emperor himself as an individual, and sometimes they epitomize the imperial court. Each of the Nguyen Dynasty was used for an appropriate occasion,” he added.
The Nguyen Dynasty produced around 100 royal seals, all were made of gold and jade.
| The 'Sac Menh Chi Bao' seal. Photo: Vietnam National Museum of History |
The first stamp features image of ‘Sac Menh Chi Bao’ seal. It was made in 1827 under the reign of King Minh Mang (1791 - 1841) and had been used on imperial ordinances until 1945. The seal was cast in the shape of a dragon, words carved on its back read: “10 years old gold, cast on a good day, October, the 8th year of King Minh Menh”. This is one among 85 royal seals of the Nguyen's kings and queens that are preserved at the Vietnam National Museum of History.
| The ‘Dai Viet Quoc Nguyen Chua Vinh Tran Chi Bao’ seal. Photo: Redsvn.vn |
Meanwhile, the second stamp features image of 'Dai Viet Quoc Nguyen Chua Vinh Tran Chi Bao' seal. In the year 1709, Nguyen lord - Nguyen Phuc Chu (1691 - 1725) ordered the creation of a gold seal. The seal was 108 x108 x 63 mm in dimensions. It bears the inscription “Seal of the eternal government of the Nguyen Lords of the kingdom of Dai Viet”. This seal certified Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu as a military mandarin of the 2nd rank. While the Nguyen lords were nominally independent rulers for over a century at this point, they hadn’t commissioned the creation of a royal seal to accredit them as kings before 1709. The gold seal is on display at the Vietnam National Museum of History.
| The Ngoa Van-Yen Tu Golden Lotus Box. Photo: Quang Ninh Museum |
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Additionally, the third stamp features image of the Ngoa Van-Yen Tu Golden Lotus Box that dating from the 14th century. The box is made of pure gold representing a blooming lotus with sophisticated decorations. It weighs more than 56 grams and has a diameter of 4.9 cm. Its cover is crafted with 4 layers consisting of 87 pieces of gold to symbolize the petals of the lotus. The box got the name after it was found in 2012 at Ngoa Van Pagoda on Yen Tu Mountain, the northern province of Quang Ninh. This national treasure is kept at Quang Ninh Museum.
| The newly unveiled treasure - the golden box containing sarira (Buddhist pearl-like relics). Photo: Nghe An Newspaper |
The last stamp in the collection features image of the golden box containing sarira (Buddhist pearl-like relics) in Thap Nhan stupa, Nghe An province. The treasure from the 7th to 8th century is now displayed at Nghe An Museum.
