More than 150 typical antiques from Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. are on display at Khanh Hoa Provincial Museum in Nha Trang.
More than 150 typical antiques from Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. are on display at Khanh Hoa Provincial Museum in Nha Trang.
Precious antiques
Khanh Hoa Provincial Museum is opening a display of “Antiques of some Southeast Asian countries”. The display features 150 antiques aged the early twentieth century and earlier.
The antiques are of historical and cultural values to some countries. There are items of worship customs such as Shiva standing on Nandin bull statue, made by bronze and stone, Thailand, 19th century; Vishnu riding Garuda bird, Myanmar; King Dhammceti, 19th century, Myanmar and stone-made Shiva statue, Indonesia, 20th century. Some are utensils and working tools featuring daily life of Southeast Asian people like bowl, plate, vase, dagger, jewelry box, etc. The antiques are made of various materials such as stone, ivory, horn, wood, pottery and iron.
 |
| Vietnam's kettledrum aged 3000 years old |
The exhibition has attracted a large number of visitors who are the locals and tourists. “In the first 10 days of opening the exhibition drew more than 2,500 visitors, many of whom are foreign tourists from Russia, Europe and North Africa. The visitors showed much care to the displayed items”, revealed Le Thi Hai Yen, a guide at the provincial Museum.
Cross-cultural similarities
In cultural treasure of Southeast Asian countries, beside typical features of each country, there are cross-cultural similarities. Through the antiques at the display, such similarities can be seen.
There are Buddhist statues with different postures, designs and materials, such as gilded bronze Buddhist statue in the 17th – 18th centuries, stone one in the 17th – 19th centuries and horn one in the 20th century of Thailand, bronze statue in the 17th – 18th centuries of Laos and bronze statue on Naga snake in the 16th – 17th centuries of Cambodia.
Vietnam’s kettledrum with the date of 3000 years old has some similarities to Herger kettledrum in the early 20th century of Myanmar. Cambodia has 4-handle brown pottery pot in the 12th – 13th centuries, Thailand has sapphire pottery pot in the 19th century, Laos has green pot and Vietnam owns colorful pot in the end 19th century.
“Watching antiques at the exhibition is like an Asia tour to visitors. They can discover cultures of some Southeast Asia countries”, said Le Chi Huong, director of the provincial Museum.
The exhibition will last two months.
T.T
