From a 22 billion VND mandarin's hat to Vietnam's efforts to preserve ancient artifacts.

Vietnam's most expensive antique hat.

The auction of the most intact official hat of the Nguyen Dynasty ever seen at the Invaluable auction house in Barcelona, ​​Spain, has attracted significant attention from the domestic public. Surprisingly, just over three days after the announcement (October 22-25), a bid of 40,000 EUR, 80 times the starting price (500-600 EUR), was placed. In the official auction on October 28, the Nguyen Dynasty official hat set an unprecedented record, reaching a price one thousand times higher, or 600,000 EUR (nearly 16 billion VND). Including fees and taxes, the total value of the antique hat is over 803,000 EUR, equivalent to more than 22 billion VND. At this price, it could be the highest-priced Nguyen Dynasty official robe ever auctioned worldwide.

From the images, the Nguyen Dynasty mandarin's hat appears to be intact, accompanied by an exquisitely crafted wooden box with lacquer and gold plating techniques. Some museums in Vietnam have also displayed Nguyen Dynasty mandarin hats, but these are almost exclusively restored artifacts. Researcher Tran Dinh Son suggests that the hat may have been taken abroad long ago, either by the French or as a gift from officials during the reign of Emperor Tu Duc on official trips.

Besides the Nguyen Dynasty mandarin's hat, two other Vietnamese artifacts were also put up for auction: a Nguyen Dynasty ceremonial robe adorned with four mythical creatures and a pair of gilded wooden altars. The two artifacts were sold for 35,000 EUR (approximately 930 million VND) and 1,750 EUR (over 46 million VND) respectively.

Standing and gazing at the artifacts that can never be returned home.

Following the news from this auction, many personal Facebook accounts and pages about Vietnamese culture and history expressed their hope that the hat would have the chance to return to Vietnam, followed by feelings of regret when the auction results were announced. Many also wondered why those involved in the preservation of historical and cultural relics in Vietnam, or more specifically in Hue, did nothing, even though it was clearly an artifact of Vietnamese origin?

According to the head of the Hue Imperial Citadel Conservation Center, the Center is only monitoring the situation and not participating in the auction because the price is... too high. Understandably, with such exorbitant auction prices, even if Vietnamese auction houses wanted the artifacts to return to their homeland, they would have to accept leaving them in a foreign land. So, is the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism completely uninvolved?

In an interview, Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Thua Thien-Hue province and former Director of the Hue Imperial Citadel Conservation Center, answered this question: "Because the law does not yet have specific regulations on this matter." Currently, whichever agency is responsible for a particular area monitors and handles issues related to that area. The Hue Imperial Citadel Conservation Center is the unit assigned to manage the heritage of the Nguyen Dynasty, so all related issues are under the Center's responsibility.

Furthermore, Vietnam lacks a legal framework allowing organizations and individuals to participate in auctions of Vietnamese artifacts abroad. Information about Vietnamese artifacts overseas is scarce, including those offered at auctions. Simultaneously, Vietnam also lacks appropriate policies for repatriating artifacts currently located abroad.

Previously, there have been precedents of other Vietnamese treasures being lost abroad, including a Rolex Reference 6062 watch once owned by Emperor Bao Dai, which was auctioned in Switzerland in 2017, and the oil painting "Twilight" by Emperor Ham Nghi, which was auctioned in France 11 years ago...

"A happy ending" for Vietnamese heritage

On October 30th, a surprising piece of information was announced in Thanh Nien newspaper: the winner of the auction for the Nguyen Dynasty mandarin's hat was a Vietnamese businessman. Specifically, the mysterious bidder with code number 5496 is a businessman deeply committed to Hue, and was determined to win this valuable mandarin's hat to bring the artifact back to the country. "The successful bidder does not wish to disclose information for personal reasons. Perhaps in the future, when the time is right, they will certainly make a formal announcement," Thanh Nien newspaper quoted.

Whether this ancient hat will actually be returned to Vietnam remains uncertain. What is clearest at present is that this auction has generated significant media attention and public interest in the preservation of national artifacts. Public opinion is increasingly questioning, raising awareness, and speaking out more deeply about issues related to the country's history, culture, and heritage. This growing interest gives those working in heritage and cultural preservation even more reason to think and act.proactivelyFor the future of Vietnam's cultural heritage.

According to Dr. Phan Thanh Hai, the upcoming revision of the Law on Cultural Heritage will begin to include this issue for discussion and research. This continues to open up hope for the "repatriation" of national artifacts in the future – not relying on wealthy individuals with their exorbitant sums of money, but rather on the collective efforts of the entire community, similar to how Vietnam successfully brought the 108-year-old carriage of Empress Dowager Tu Minh (mother of King Thanh Thai) from France back to Hue in 2014.

Huyen Chau