Phap Lam - An art revived

The skill of firing the enamelled bronze ware that adorns many palaces and monuments in Hue is thankfully being restored.

In its 143 years the Nguyen Dynasty gave its capital, Hue, an enormous treasure trove of cultural heritage.

Among them is enamelled bronze ware found at monuments in the city that are truly works of art but whose firing technique has been lost in time, with no trace found of any workshops.

Fortunately, though, the technique is being reborn and developed into a special traditional craft in the former capital.

Phap lam is the Vietnamese term used to describe enamelled bronze products.

 

Based on historical records of the Nguyen Dynasty, the technique for firing enamelled bronze was created in 1827, developing and reaching its peak under the reigns of Emperors Minh Mang (1820-1841), Thieu Tri (1841-1847), and Tu Duc (1848-1883) before declining after a period when three emperors alternatively ruled the country for four months, in 1883, and though it was restored under the reign of Emperor Dong Khanh (1885-1889) it soon went into decline yet again and, eventually, disappeared.

Although workshops existed during the Nguyen Dynasty for just 60 years, the legacy of Nguyen enamelled bronze ware in Hue is abundant both in quantity, type and shape, and have been admired by generations since.

The enamelled bronze ware are high-quality, fine art products.

The firing technique required skills from the craftsmen in many stages: firstly, making a bronze core body, then applying a layer of undercoat onto the core body, and directly painting decorative designs onto the undercoat using a multi-coloured enamel or five-coloured enamel before firing.

Hue enamelled bronze ware were classified according to three main categories: enamelled bronze motifs for interior decoration, exterior decoration at Hue royal palaces, and enamelled bronze ware for ritual ceremonies or household items.

Enamelled bronze motifs for exterior decoration are paid the most attention.

 

They include decorative details in the shape of dragons or clouds, attached to main the ridges and drooping ridges of royal palaces and the triple gates of the Nguyen tombs.

They are also ornamental panels in the ‘one poem, one painting’ style on the roof walls at gables, hip ends, and drooping ridges of large palaces such as Thai Hoa Palace, Ngung Hy Temple (at the Tomb of Dong Khanh), the gateways at Trung Dao Bridge (in the Imperial City), the Tomb of Minh Mang and the Tomb of Thieu Tri.

They also appear on the top of Minh Lau pavilion’s main ridge, Sung An Temple (at the Tomb of Minh Mang), Hoa Khiem Temple (at the Tomb of Tu Duc) and the main ridges and drooping ridges of the Stele House (at the Tomb of Tu Duc) and Bieu Duc Temple (at the Tomb of Thieu Tri), and elsewhere.

The brilliant colour of the enamelled bronze ware on the grey background of mossy ancient structures gives them a certain brightness.

Over two centuries of Hue’s often severe weather, many enamelled bronze decorations on the royal palaces were lost or severely damaged.

Two hundred years on, Hue enamelled bronze ware are now been revived. In recent years a collection, research and conservation group led by Mr Do Huu Triet have successfully restored Hue enamelled bronze ware, making them become not only quintessential handicraft products but also works of art that are applied to traditional and modern constructions.

Mr Triet also founded the Thai Hung company, making enamelled bronze ware, to attract enthusiastic artists and artisans who work together to revive the craft.

Today the company has introduced many items combining traditional and modern styles, such as painting enamel on glass, ceramics, and lacquerware, enamelled bronze motifs for interior decoration, and many unique souvenirs and jewellery made from enamelled bronze, which are much admired by local and foreign tourists.

Hue enamelled bronze ware came into being in the early years of the 19th century at a time when scientific theories of colour known in the West had yet to reach Vietnam, yet its craftsmen still created remarkable colours. The late painter Pham Dang Tri remarked: ‘Craftsmen making Hue enamelled bronze ware knew early on the way to adjust the colour to a sophisticated level, creating a method using patches of colour and discovering a process of using contrasting colours. Enamelled bronze ware features bright and splendid colours of great strength, with the typical colours of daily life during that royal period and reflecting the Hue contemporary art of the time.’

The Guide

Phap Lam - An art revived

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