Hue museum to display Nguyen Dynasty artifacts
Two Nguyen Dynasty artefacts dating back to the 19th century, which recently returned to Vietnam after they were bought by a company at an auction in Spain, will be introduced to the public in Hue.
According to an annoucement on April 14 of the Centre for Conservation of Hue Monuments, the artefacts, including a mandarin hat and a Nhat Binh dress (royal costume of the Nguyen Dynasty), will be on display from April 17 to May 17 at the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts.
The artefacts have been returned to Vietnam after they were bought by a company at an auction in Spain. They were then donated to Thua Thien Hue Province, where the Nguyen Dynasty royal palace complex was located.
The mandarin hat, coming with a box in lacquered and gilded wood, was initially offered by the auction house at 500 to 600 euros. However, it sold for 600,000 euros, excluding tax.
Meanwhile, the Nhat Binh dress, a casual clothing item worn by the Empress dowager, Empress consort, and princesses of the Nguyen Dynasty, also went for a significant sum. The two auctioned items sold for about US$1.5 million in total.
The provincial leaders earlier said they valued the meaningful gesture of the company and assigned relevant agencies to work with the company to complete legal procedures on the donation of the artefacts.
