Article and photos:Minh Tu
Treasury of seals
Nguyen Van Pham currently holds a precious treasure trove that any “colleague” would wish for. But few people know that he started his journey of collecting antiques by chance. “In 1992, when I returned to my hometown, I saw people selling bronze seals. I suddenly liked them and wanted to own them. I bought my first seals from that time,” Mr. Pham said.
At the beginning of his "playing" with seals, Mr. Pham did not fully understand their values. Later, thanks to the explanations of Chinese characters reading experts and his own research and study of the history of each dynasty, he was able to fully appreciate the essence and hidden meaning of each seal. Currently, he has more than 300 large and small seals made of copper, gold (kim ti), precious stones (ngoc ti) from the Tran Dynasty to the Le Dynasty, Tay Son Dynasty and Nguyen Dynasty. Among them, he especially loves the Tay Son Dynasty seals, because that is the origin of his birthplace.
Each seal carries different "positions" such as: Grand Admiral, Admiral, Governor General... He said that the seal is not simply a manifestation of the authority of the owner, but more than that, it is also a historical evidence for the sovereignty of the nation, a mark of the state apparatus from ancient times.
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In his collection, the 12 Tay Son Dynasty seals are the most valuable to Mr. Pham. According to Associate Professor Hoang Xuan Chinh - Deputy Director of the UNESCO Center for the Conservation of Vietnamese Antiquities - this is a very rare and complete set of seals, because they are the seals of the generals who survived the deadly battles against Nguyen Anh's army. When they arrived in a certain land, to avoid being implicated, they threw the seals into the rivers. Thanks to that, the seals of that chaotic period are still preserved among the people. And thanks to that, the rare remaining traces of the once-famous Tay Son Dynasty - the peak of which was the great victory over 290,000 Qing troops in 1789 - have had the opportunity to be preserved to this day.
In this set of seals, the Tan Hoi Nien Dong Tao seal cast in the winter of Tan Hoi year 1791 is very special, because it was cast around a year before King Quang Trung passed away. Along with that are the seals belonging to the Canh Thinh period (Binh Thin year 1796) issued to the Grand Admiral and the Captain. Besides, the seal attached to the appointment edict of the Phu Cat district magistrate (1821) is also of no less value.
Holding in his hands the bronze seals covered with green rust, or the ivory seals with a shiny brown finish, Mr. Pham enthusiastically introduced the characteristics and unique features of each one. He explained: “Small officials have small seals. The heavier the circumference and weight of the seal and the more refined the material, the more it represents the strength and power of that official at that time.”
The seal keeper's feelings
Mr. Pham's collection includes more than just the Tay Son seal. The greatest joy in his journey of collecting seals was when he collected the Than Ve Tuong Quan seal (dated 1526), because this is the largest military official seal in his collection. There is also the Hong Duc Nhi Nien seal (dated 2nd year of the Le Dynasty - 1471).
The profession of "playing" with seals is also very elaborate. Entering this field, Mr. Pham also experienced many joys and sorrows along with unforgettable memories. Sometimes he had to go to the North 3 times in 6 months just to convince someone to sell him a seal that he liked. There were even antiques that he had to pursue for many years but still could not get. It was even more difficult to read the crooked seal script on the surface of the seal, he had to ask an expert in the profession to help, at the same time learning Chinese and Nom characters himself to research further.
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Collecting seals, not only to satisfy his passion for collecting, he also pays attention to the fate of the seals, to the traces of an era, the regime on which the seals were engraved to know where they were "born" and the ups and downs of their owners. Many sleepless nights, he diligently worked by the lamplight to find answers about the lifeless seals and considered it his duty to the history of the nation, to his ancestors. He confided: "Collecting seals has become a part of my life".
In addition to his unique seals, Mr. Pham is also famous for his collection of Tay Son period antiques. He also preserves many other precious and strange antiques such as prehistoric jewelry and bronze, ceramic, porcelain antiques... bearing the imprint of the Sa Huynh, Oc Eo, Champa, Dong Son cultures, which have historical, artistic and cultural value.
However, there were times when collecting was not always as expected: “There was a time when I was upset for a whole month because I let the seal “slip” into the hands of a foreign collector because he did not have enough money to buy it back. Thinking about the national treasure of my ancestors being lost in a foreign land, I could not help but feel sad,” Mr. Pham confided.
Therefore, he cherishes what he has a thousand times. Currently, Mr. Pham is the Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Antiquities Association.
