(VOVworld) – With just 300 objects, Kim Lan pottery museum on the outskirts of Hanoi is one of the smallest museums in Vietnam. Despite the modest number, the objects help to tell the history of Vietnam’s pottery-making and the feelings of local citizens towards Japanese archaeologist Nisimura Manasaki, one of the museum’s founders.

Cultural researchers began to notice Kim Lan village when pottery items and shards were uncovered whenever the banks of the Red River were eroded by floods. Local pottery-makers started to collect the pottery pieces to study ancient techniques. Thanks to the assistance and cooperation of foreign researchers, the name of Kim Lan has been restored as a cradle of Vietnamese pottery-making and one of the main providers of pottery items to the Thang Long Royal Citadel. Experienced artisan Nguyen Van Nhung donated a large number of objects to the museum. Nhung said: “My family lives by the river. We use water from the river every day because there is no well. Once when the river bank eroded, we discovered many pottery shards and even some intact items. I started to collect these pieces because I understand their value.”

Archaeological excavations have discovered thousands of objects dating from the 7^th to the 17^th century. Many of these objects are intact or can be restored.

Since March 2013, the Kim Lan museum has been open to the public on weekends. Covering an area of 200 square meters, the museum has a roof shaped like an ancient Kim Lan pottery kiln. The 300 objects on display are evidence of a craft village with a glorious history, representing pottery and enamels from the Ly to the Tran dynasty. Many of these glazes were used only by the royal family.

The Kim Lan pottery museum has been awarded the Bui Xuan Phai award, an honor which has made it easier for local villagers to develop their craft. Tran Duc Tri, Vice Chairman of the Kim Lan People’s Committee, said: “We have a plan for developing our traditional craft and tourism. We want to build an area to exhibit made-in-Kim Lan products and a center to teach the craft to the younger generation. The museum is our pride and cultural heritage, contributing to our cultural and socio-economic development.”