 A gold-plated silver book of a Nguyen King. |
The exhibition, called “Present from the Past,” was organized by the Vietnam Centre – a non-profit NGO that promotes Vietnamese culture to the world.
Though the Nguyen Dynasty lasted only 143 years, between the early 19th century and the middle of the 20th century, the imprint it left on Vietnam’s cultural identity is undeniably profound. The culture of that era has been an endless inspiration and abundant resource for artists and designers.
 Royal costumes of the Nguyen dynasty. |
On display were recreations of ancient items like imperial costumes and paintings alongside modernised adaptations of ancient Vietnamese clothing. The exhibits were created by contemporary Vietnamese artists, most of them in their 20s.
 The "phap lam" vases. |
Particularly fascinating were a pair of “phap lam” vases with illustrations of northern dances and a motif of “to nu” (Fair Maidens). “Phap lam” is a technique of enameling ceramics on a gold, silver, or copper base introduced to Vietnam in the early 19th century. “Phap lam” products are considered a combination of ceramics and jewellery. At one time they were produced only for Nguyen royalty.