Champa antiques in Saigon

Hundreds of Cham antiques, including three national treasures on display at the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum.

In the Museum of History of Ho Chi Minh City, a gallery of more than 100 Cham antiques dating from the 2nd to the 17th century is reserved. around the 9th and 10th centuries, then gradually weakened. This country was influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism; with many architectural and sculptural works; Notably, the Cham towers still exist today.

There are three national treasures in the Cham Culture gallery. Prominent is the bronze statue of Avalokitesvara, discovered in the early 20th century in Quang Binh.

The statue weighs 35 kg, is 52 cm high, has a high bun with a crown touching the image of a sitting Buddha, carrying many ornaments. The statue has four hands, two front hands holding out lotus buds and nectar water bottles.

The statue reflects the high level of bronze casting and the contemporary Buddhist development of Champa.

Dong Duong Buddha statue was found in Quang Nam by a French in 1911, dating back to about 1,200 years. The statue is made of brass, 120 cm high, weighs 120 kg, showing Buddha standing sermon.

The statue has been displayed in many countries. In the exhibition of antiques in Southeast Asia in France, the statue was purchased with insurance of 5 million USD. This is the highest insurance rate for a Vietnamese statue on display abroad.

Dong Duong is the Buddhist center of Champa, located in the plain, Thang Binh district, Quang Nam.

The bust of goddess Devi was discovered in 1911 in Huong Que village (Quang Nam) in a small temple. The statue is 38.5 cm high, 21.6 cm wide and weighs 20 kg, dating to the 10th century.

According to documents from researchers, this is a rare portrait of an “Champa” Indian goddess. The statue is made of sandstone, has long, interlocking eyebrows, big eyes, a slightly smiling mouth, hair in a high tuft of pyramid shape, the front has a crescent moon shape. This statue is chosen by many countries around the world to introduce the Champa culture.

A pedestal of the nine Hindu deities, made of stone from the 10th century, was found in Quang Nam. Up to now, this is the only relief found together with many Cham gods. Due to the war, many statues of ancient Cham gods were beheaded because this is considered as a symbol of the theocracy of a nation.

Up in the upper left corner is the Shiva statue, also missing its head, dating back to the 9th-10th century. Shiva is one of the three supreme deities of Hinduism (Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva), symbolizing destruction. The god Brahma represents creation, and Vishnu is the protector.

The stone statue with the body of an elephant head, Ganesha, was found in Quang Nam in the 7th century. God Ganesha is a symbol of intelligence, happiness and success, and is the son of Shiva.

A stone statue of Shiva is quite intact, from the 15th century, found in Binh Dinh.

Statue of Vishnu dating back over 1,000 years, was found in Quang Nam. This is the god of protection and protection characterized by four arms.

The dancer statues were cast in the 10th century, found in Tra Kieu village, Quang Nam province. Many other Cham antiques are also discovered here because this area used to be the capital of the Champa nation.

The lion’s head statue in the 10th century, Tra Kieu is exquisitely sculpted. Cham stone sculpture has two main types: reliefs and statues with the theme of supreme gods and other gods with pictures of elephants, lions, birds and dancers …

German friend, Hutech University, introduced the statue of Garuda bird that is more than 1,000 years old. In Hinduism, the Garuda is the mount of the god Vishnu, represented by a bird of prey with a human head, with three eyes and an eagle beak.

“I also visited the museum a few times, there are many antiques here with many valuable items. My group is doing homework about Champa culture, so come here to learn to have more knowledge for the subject”, said the male student of the Faculty of Tourism.

The items of daily life in Champa residents such as kettles, pots, bowls, plates, lampstands … are displayed abundantly.

Ho Chi Minh City History Museum was built in 1929, originally named Blanchard de la Brosse after the Governor of Nam Ky at that time. This is the first museum in Saigon and in South Vietnam. In 1954, when the French withdrew, the work was renamed the National Museum and its present name since 1975.

The work is designed and built by French architect Delaval in a style that combines European and indigenous architecture, exploiting traditional factors and local climatic features.

The museum is open daily from 8 – 17 pm, admission ticket is 30,000 VND.

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Đăng bởi: Nguyễn Bá Vạn