Exhibition spotlights Hue’s enamelled bronze art

An exhibition of 20 enamelled bronze paintings is taking place at the An Dinh Palace in the former imperial city of Hue, becoming a magnet to tourists.

Visitors at the exhibition. (Photo: VNA)
Visitors at the exhibition. (Photo: VNA)

Held in response to the local signature Hue Festival this year, the event treated visitors to paintings crafted by Do Huu Triet and his co-workers based on illustrations in the 1925 printed version of “Truyen Kieu” (The Tale of Kieu) – a masterpiece by Vietnamese poet Nguyen Du (1765 – 1820). The illustration was made by painter Manh Hung.

Enamelled bronze art, or phap lam in Vietnamese, is the name of an art product with copper core. Its outside is covered with many layers of enamel with decorative images and colours, and then fired at a high temperature. Such works have not only beautiful colours but also high durability.

The art flourished in the reigns of Emperors Minh Mang, Thieu Tri, and Tu Duc, but in the reign of King Dong Khanh it gradually declined. In the early 2000s, the restoring and revitalising of this art genre began, with significant progresses seen in recent years.

The exhibition lasts until June 30.