The artefacts, including a mandarin hat and a Nhat Binh dress (royal costume of the Nguyen Dynasty), were purchased by the Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company at the auction in October 2021.
 The mandarin hat from the Nguyễn Dynasty sold for 600,000 euros at an auction in Spain. — Photo courtesy of Balclis Auction House |
They were then donated to Thua Thien Hue Province, where the Nguyen Dynasty royal palace complex was located.
The Vietnamese mandarin hat, coming with a box in lacquered and gilded wood, was initially offered by the auction house at 500 to 600 euros. However, it sold for 600,000 euros, excluding tax.
 The Nhật Bình dress for the Empress dowager, Empress consort, and princesses of the Nguyễn Dynasty. — Photo courtesy of Balclis Auction House |
Meanwhile, the Nhat Binh dress, a casual clothing item worn by the Empress dowager, Empress consort, and princesses of the Nguyen Dynasty, also went for a significant sum. The two auctioned items sold for about 1.5 million USD in total.
The artefacts are scheduled to arrive in Vietnam in early April. The mandarin hat was made around the end of the 19th or early 20th century, while the silk dress dates back to the 19th century. They will be preserved and displayed at the Hue Museum of Royal Fine Arts.