Bronze Royal Seal “Mon Ha Sanh An”, bronze, Tran Due Tong Dynasty (1377 AD.), discovered in Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province in 1962 AD.
Bronze Royal Seal “Mon Ha Sanh An”, bronze, Tran Due Tong Dynasty (1377 AD.), discovered in Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province in 1962 AD.
Discovered in 1962, the bronze royal seal “Mon Ha Sanh An” (Seal of the Mon Ha Hall) is the only royal seal from the Tran dynasty thus far found in Vietnam. It is a key symbol of the power and authority of the ruling dynasty and was used to enact royal decrees, reflecting the high level of administrative organization achieved in the Tran period of imperial rule. The seal has a square face and was made in three sections; the handle is rectangular and the top part is curved: its form is therefore much like that of a stele. There are two lines of Chinese text carved on its back. The line on the right reads “Mon Ha Sanh An” (Seal of the Mon Ha Hall). The line on the left-hand side, which is composed of 11 Chinese words, says “Long khanh ngu nien, ngu nguyet, nhi thap tam nhat tao” (made on the 23rd day of the 5th lunar month of the 5th year of the reign of Emperor Long Khanh (King Tran Due Tong, 1377). The square face, which is 7.3cm x 7.3cm, is inscribed with four seal script characters “Mon Ha Sanh An”. This is a very precious and rare patrimonial artefact reflecting the central administrative organization of the Tran dynasty. The seal “Mon Ha Sanh An” represents the royal power which was used to seal important administrative documents of the reign of King Tran Due Tong.