King Minh Mang’s gold seal to return to Viet Nam

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on November 14 that it has successfully negotiated with French auction house Millon to bring a gold seal of Vietnamese King Ming Mang (1820-1841) back to Viet Nam.

The square-based seal is 10.4 centimeters tall and weighs 10.78 kilograms. The handle is in the form of a coiled dragon with five claws on each of its four legs.

Its scaly body is adorned with a bulging dorsal ridge, and the head is covered with stag horns, exposing the lion's muzzle and teeth. Its head is raised and the character "Vuong", meaning king, is incised on its forehead.

The phrase "Hoang De Chi Bao" (Treasure of The Emperor) also appears on the imperial seal.

The gold seal changed hands after the August Revolution in August 1945. Hue's Ngu Phung level, on the Ngo Mon tower platform, was the location of this transfer on August 30, 1945.

After learning that the imperial seal of King Minh Mang would be put up for auction along with more than 300 antiquities hailing from or related to Viet Nam on October 31, the ministry and relevant ministries and agencies have developed plans in an effort to bring the seal home.

An inter-agency working group was established to directly engage in negotiations with the French auction house. Millon postponed two tentative auctions, awaiting decisions from Viet Nam.

The two sides are working on relevant legal procedures in according to the two countries' legal system so that the seal will be repatriated from France to Viet Nam, the ministry said.

VGP