On 25/10/2016, a meeting to present reports over the 1st stage of conservation project on 2 of 4 doors of Pho Minh pagoda organized at the Vietnam National Museum of History (VNMH).
The doors belong to Tran Temple - Pho Minh pagoda relic, the most famous of Tran dynasty historical complex in Nam Dinh province. Pho Minh pagoda was built in Ly dynasty, and went under a big restoration in Tran dynasty. The door set of Pho Minh pagoda made of 4 units. Among those, 2 are kept at the VNMH and 2 at the Nam Dinh Museum.
Sumitomo is the fund that supported VNMH with regard to restoration and conservation projects for last 3 years. This year, the fund continues funding for Pho Minh doors conservation which is scheduled to undergo within 3 years (2016-2018).
Representatives in attendance were PhD. Nguyen Van Doan - Deputy Director of VNMH, Vice Chairman of VNMH Science Council; Mr. Katayama Tsuyoshi and Mr. Oshima Kentaro - Japanese Fine Arts Museum; Mr. Shiga Satoshi - Kyushu National Museum and some VNMH curators.
Meeting for reporting of Pho Minh pagoda's door conservation project
Japanese experts reported on the restoration and conservation of the 1st stage of the project. It presented in details the status and conditions of the two doors and the plan for restoration.
Japanese representatives
After Japan's reports, VNMH side discussed and provided ideas to the conservation. Deputy Director of VNMH Nguyen Van Doan stated that the museum agree to Japan's methodology and approach on the restoration and conservation of Pho Minh doors. However, he requested that experts need to do further surveys over Pho Minh pagoda and Thang Long Royal Citadel with regard to patterns and decorations of Tran style on the ceramic, earthen and wooden materials as those would be basic for the conservation of the doors. He also proposed Japan for continuing sponsorship to the project in regard to the printing and announcement of the results of the conservation as those would be useful for other Vietnamese museums in the conservation of wooden objects.
End of the meeting, the deputy thanked Japanese delegation and Sumimoto fund and expected that the project would go well and successful.
Compiled by Tran Trang