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Text and photos:Minh Tu
Treasure of seals
Nguyen Van Pham currently possesses a treasure trove of valuable artifacts that any of his "colleagues" would envy. But few know that his journey of collecting antiques began quite by chance. "In 1992, during a visit to my hometown, I saw people selling bronze seals, and I suddenly felt drawn to them and wanted to own them. I bought my first seals from that moment," Mr. Pham recounted.
In the early days of collecting seals, Mr. Pham didn't fully understand their value. Later, thanks to experts who could read Chinese characters and his own research into the history of each dynasty, he came to appreciate the essence and hidden meanings of each seal. Currently, he owns more than 300 seals of various sizes made from copper, gold (kim tỷ), and precious stones (ngọc tỷ) from the Tran dynasty to the Le, Tay Son, and Nguyen dynasties. Among them, he particularly cherishes the seals from the Tay Son dynasty, as they represent his birthplace.
Each seal bears different "positions" such as: Grand Admiral, Admiral, Governor-General... He said that seals are not simply expressions of the authority of the ruler; moreover, they are historical evidence of the nation's sovereignty, a mark of the state apparatus from ancient times.
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In his collection, the 12 seals from the Tay Son dynasty are the most valuable to Mr. Pham. According to Associate Professor Hoang Xuan Chinh, Deputy Director of the UNESCO Center for the Preservation of Vietnamese Antiquities, this is the rarest and most complete set of seals, because they are the seals of generals that survived battles fought to the death against Nguyen Anh's army. To avoid being implicated in certain areas, they threw the seals into rivers. Thanks to this, the seals from that turbulent era have remained intact among the people. And thanks to this, the rare remaining traces of the once glorious Tay Son dynasty – culminating in the great victory over 290,000 Qing troops in 1789 – have been preserved to this day.
Among this collection of seals, the seal of the Year of the Pig, cast in the winter of the Year of the Pig 1791, is particularly special because it was cast approximately one year before Emperor Quang Trung's death. Alongside it are seals from the reign of Emperor Canh Thinh (Year of the Dragon 1796) granted to Grand Admirals and Commanders. Furthermore, the seal accompanying the imperial decree appointing the district magistrate of Phu Cat (1821) is equally valuable.
Holding in his hands bronze seals covered in green rust, or ivory seals polished to a glossy brown, Mr. Pham enthusiastically introduced the characteristics and unique features of each one. He explained: "Lower-ranking officials have smaller seals. The heavier the seal in circumference and weight, and the more refined the material, the more it reflects the power and authority of that official at the time."
The sentiments of the seal keeper
Mr. Pham's collection includes not only Tay Son seals. The greatest joy in his seal-collecting journey was acquiring the Than Ve Tuong Quan seal (dated 1526), as this is the seal of the highest-ranking military official in his collection. He also possesses the Hong Duc Nhi Nien seal (dating back to the second year of the Le Dynasty - 1471).
The art of collecting seals is a laborious one. Entering this field, Mr. Pham has experienced countless joys and sorrows, along with unforgettable memories. Sometimes he had to travel to the North three times in six months just to persuade someone to sell him a seal he liked. There were even antiques he pursued for years without success. Reading the intricate seal script on the seals was even more difficult; he had to seek help from experts in the field, while simultaneously learning Chinese and Vietnamese characters to further his research.
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Collecting seals is not just about satisfying his passion for collecting; he also pays attention to the fate of these seals, to the traces of the era and regime on which they were engraved, so that he can understand where they "came from" and the ups and downs of their owners. Many sleepless nights, he diligently works by lamplight, searching for answers about these inanimate seals, considering it his duty to the history of the nation and to his ancestors. He confided, "Collecting seals has become a part of my life."
Besides his unique collection of seals, Mr. Pham is also famous for his collection of antiques from the Tay Son period. He also possesses many other precious and unusual artifacts such as prehistoric jewelry and bronze, ceramic, and porcelain artifacts... bearing the distinct imprint of the Sa Huynh, Oc Eo, Champa, and Dong Son cultures, which are valuable in terms of history, art, and culture.
However, there were times when collecting didn't always go as planned: "There was a time when I was distraught for a whole month because I let a seal slip into the hands of a foreign collector because I couldn't afford to buy it back. Just thinking about my ancestors' national treasure being lost in a foreign land, I couldn't bear it," Mr. Pham confided.
Therefore, he cherishes everything he has immensely. Currently, Mr. Pham is the Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Antiquities Association.
