Present at the ceremony were Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to UNESCO Le Thi Hong Van, and representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UNESCO.
The handover of the royal seal is the result of more than a year of negotiation and execution of related legal procedures by relevant parties of Vietnam and France.
On October 19, 2022, French auction house Millon announced its auction of 329 antiquities, including two dating back to the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) – a golden seal made in 1823 under the reign of King Minh Mang (1820 – 1841) and a golden bowl made under the reign of King Khai Dinh (1917-925).
After confirming the authenticity of the seal, a Vietnamese inter-ministerial delegation and the auction house agreed to transfer them to Vietnam. On November 14, the sides agreed to carry out relevant legal processes and procedures for the repatriation of the seal to Vietnam in accordance with the laws of both nations.
Nam Hong Museum in the northern province of Bac Ninh was chosen to carry out relevant financial procedures according to French law. A contract to purchase the seal valued at EUR6.1 million was signed with Millon in France on January 13.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism asked the museum to preserve, display, and coordinate with the National Museum of History in protecting and promoting the value of heritage according to the provisions of the Law on Cultural Heritage.
According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, the gold seal is 10.4 centimeters high and weighs 10.78 kilograms. The treasure is an important cultural heritage symbolizing political power during a period in Vietnam’s history, marking the transition from monarchy to modern democracy in the Ho Chi Minh era.
The Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) was the last monarchy in Vietnamese history. It crafted and put into use more than 100 seals, often cast in gold, silver, or precious jade. Currently, the National Museum of History is storing and preserving 85 precious jade seals of the Nguyen Dynasty.
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Visiting Uncle Ho’s native village
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Vietnam makes breakthroughs under Party’s leadership
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