Documentary photo
Reliefs are made by carving, embossing and chiseling. They are an important part of Vietnam's cultural and artistic heritage. They not only prove the capacity of Vietnamese artists but also reveal the national history and spirit.
The art of making reliefs and sculptures in Vietnam first appeared thousands of years ago. The relief “Human Faces and Animals" on the wall of Dong Noi Cave in Ha Son Binh is over 10,000 years old. The relief “Buffalo Boy with his Flute” is typical of the rural theme. Wooden reliefs have been existed for hundreds of years on roofs of communal houses and pagodas in the North. They are now subject matters for many researchers.
In June 2024 in Hue, the Department of Culture and Sports collaborated with the National History Museum to excavate the relic of Lieu Coc Twin Towers at Huong Xuan Ward in Huong Tra Town. Notable was the relief of the Buddha's bust made of purple-gray stone dating from the 11th-12th centuries. This is probably the oldest relief ever found in Hue.
Reliefs in the Nguyen Era
A noticeable prominent feature of the constructions in the Imperial Citadel, at the royal mausoleums such as Gia Long, Khai Dinh, etc., at pagodas and ancestor worship houses is reliefs and their decoration.
According to researcher Tran Lam Ben, Hue's decorative art with reliefs dates back to the mid-17th century in folk theme and style consistent with the style of the fine arts of the nation. By the 19th century and the early 20th century, the art of making mosaics with porcelain, ivory and mother-of-pearl in Hue reached its peak while it was still underdeveloped in other regions (especially porcelain mosaics). Hue at the time was where reliefs thrived. It was like a lamp sending its light to other places. Hue's decorative patterns were typical, inheriting many features of the previous periods, which can be seen on the bases of the 9 Sacred Cannons. The flowery patterns are as a wish for happiness for Vietnamese people who live on agriculture.
Towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, there appeared many exotic themes about plants, birds, flowers and fruits, then themes taken from ancient tales, which had been very rare before.
Notice that those themes have been “Vietnameseized” to become natural and rustic. Take “Hổ Phù” (“Tiger Mask”) for instance. Sometimes it is in the form of flowers; sometimes it is like a form of ‘sealize’ with two dragons attending by two sides; sometimes a snake body is added to become a dragon Tiger Mask. This dragon pattern is rare, but it could also be found at Thay Pagoda in the North in as far as the 17th century.
By the 19th century, because the dragon pattern was connected with the king, it became typical of the fine arts of the Nguyen Dynasty in Hue. Recently, the stone relief in Minh Mang Era was evaluated to become National Treasure together with the Bell at the Noon Gate, the throne of emperor Duy Tan and the dragon statue in Thieu Tri Era.
Reliefs today
In late 19th century and early 21st century, reliefs in Hue experienced its advance. Except for some exotic aspects due to mimicking servilely the western art, carvings and porcelain mosaics at the moment advanced both in art and technique.
Some evidence are the classic carvings at Hung Mieu, the Bat Buu (Eight Precious Objects), which were carved separately then attached to the constructions, the porcelain mosaic masterpieces at Khai Dinh Mausoleum, the mosaics of horn or mother-of-pearl and the statuettes of figures in tales at Ton That Han Temple.
One of the well-known addresses for reliefs today in Hue is the "tomb city” in An Bang Village (Vinh An Commune, Phu Vang District.) The cemetery is about 40 hectares large with thousands of tombs. Billions of dongs have been spent to build those tombs which are embellished carefully and meticulously with mosaics of dragons, phoenixes and flowers on triple gates, tiled roofs and steles. Many photos of the “tomb city” have appeared on international newspapers such as Daily Mail (the UK), Japan Times (Japan), Times of India (India), SCMP (China), etc. Reporters of AFP News Agency (France) compare the tombs here to Gothic and Roman architecture.
Besides skillful relief-makers there have appeared companies specializing in making decorative patterns and reliefs. Recently, the restaurant chain "Net Hue" in Hanoi ordered reliefs depicting the Citadel of Hue for its restaurants. Each relief comprises 6 pieces of various sizes made of composite imitating copper.
Most recently, in early 2024, the reconstruction of Kien Trung Pavilion was finished and the pavilion began to open to the public. Visitors were so amazed at the original majestic palace of the Nguyen Dynasty. The palace is a combination of Western and Eastern architectures with myriad of reliefs, exerting a strong impression on millions of visitors.
In this way or another, reliefs still go hand in hand with Hue people.