Ancient Vietnamese ceramic statues

(VOVworld)- Vietnamese people began making ceramic statues thousands of years ago. Ceramic statues are decorative and are also used in worshiping rituals. Ancient Vietnamese statues are diverse in terms of materials, glazing and purposes of use. An exhibit of ancient Vietnamese ceramic statues is on display at the National History Museum introducing visitors to the historical, aesthetic and cultural values of Vietnamese ceramic arts.

Photo: Xuan Bui

70 statues dating back 4,000 years ago are on display at the museum. They are made of terra-cotta, pottery and porcelain. The exhibit is organized around three themes: ordinary decoration, worship and architectural decoration. Ceramic statues for home decoration have become more popular in recent years. The statues on display depict humans, birds, and animals. Dang Thi Hien is a curator at the museum: ” Ceramic statues of cows and chickens dating back to the Dong Dau culture 3,500 years ago have been found. In the 1^st and 2^nd centuries statues of pigs were excavated. The ceramic statues dating almost 1,000 years to the Ly and Tran dynasties are enameled. In the 16^th and 17^th centuries crackle glaze pottery from Bat Trang ceramic village were very famous”.

Worshiping statues mostly depict the Buddha and genies. The Buddha statues are diverse, but the statues of Bodhisattva, the Mother Goddess and monks are the most popular. A collection of ceramic Buddha heads from the Ly dynasty in the 11^th to 13^th centuries are on display. Ms Hien told us: “The Buddhas and monks date back to the Ly dynasty from the 11^th to the 13^th century. They depict monks who practiced Buddhism their whole lives. There are also Buddha heads from the Ly and Tran dynasties which were used to dispel ghosts. The statues reflect the development of pottery in the Ly and Tran dynasties, especially the Ly dynasty”.

Photo: Xuan Bui

Photo: Xuan Bui

All Buddha statues are associated with a belief in the blessings of health, luck and prosperity. Because Vietnamese worshiping rituals are diverse, a wide range of ceramic statues of Buddhas and genies have been made. The statues show the hold Buddhism and traditional beliefs have on the Vietnamese soul and reflect the Vietnamese aspiration to the genuine, the good and the beautiful. Decorative statues for architectural use often depict sacred animals. They were used to decorate royal courts, pagodas and temples. Hoang Phuong Linh, a 3^rd year student of the Mines and Geology University in Hanoi, is a visitor: “Vietnamese artisans are very skilful and creative. The ceramic statues on display here are practical and religious significance. Their enamels and patterns are very beautiful”.

Photo: Xuan Bui

Ancient Vietnamese ceramic statues Related image(s)