Beside the discovery of vestiges and of the architectural planes of large extent at Ta Vu and Huu Vu, the excavation of the site Lam Kinh in 2004 has received a collection of a great number of specimens, of
Beside the discovery of vestiges and of the architectural planes of large extent at Ta Vu and Huu Vu, the excavation of the site Lam Kinh in 2004 has received a collection of a great number of specimens, of various types and materials, dating from periods corresponding to architectural layers (15-16th and 17-18th centuries), which complete the documentation and the knowledge on the existence of the central sector of the site Lam Kinh. The group of materials of construction gathered in this excavation consists chiefly of objects in earthenware, then objects of stone (column pedestals) and of metal (iron nails, of various dimensions). The earthenware objects characteristic of the posterior Le consist of massive bricks (rectangular parallelipipede or in the form of decree box of various dimensions), some are scarved with chinese characters, of 36 to 41cm long (mostly from 38 to 40cm), from 13-16cm wide (mostly from 14 to 15 cm), 9-14cm thick (mostly from 11 to 12,5cm), paving flagstones (square, without decoration) of various dimensions (dark red, black grey, lead grey…); tiles, including tiles in the form of shoe nose, tiles in form of tubes (decorated with dragons, flowers, leaves, enamelled yellow or without colour), tiles “am duong” (decorated with dragons, tigers, flowers and leaves…), tiles of roof corner…
The rich types of decoration comprising covering bricks of decoration (of various dimensions, decorated with dragons in relief, combined with nails, waves, chrysanthemums, liana flowers and variations…), decorations of roof corner (in T, in L, decorated with dragons, flowers, leaves and variations…), decorations of roof crease (four petalled flowers in hollow, with chinese characters in the back to fix the position…) are the sign of large extent construction.
The group of earthenware comprising of the earthenwares of Vietnam, China and Japan with chiefly bowls, dishes, vases, lamp pedestals, lids… The enamelled earthenwares of Vietnam consist of jade enamels, brown enamels, white enamels among which white enamelled earthenwares with printed decorations and white enamelled earthenwares with blue drawings form the majority. This group of specimens are dated from the 15-16th centuries and are all high class products, for royal usage with decoration by dragons, phoenix, clouds, water, sacred flowers and leaves, and characters Quan carved or printed in hollow in the bottom of bowls or dishes.
In this excavation, one finds for the first time pieces of big vases, white enamelled with coloured drawings, gilded and decorated with dragons, clouds, sacred flowers and leaves, as well as small lamp pedestals, white enamelled and lids delicately decorated with dragons (photo). In the collection, one also finds a “strange” specimen the usage of which one could not determine (photo).
The group of vietnamese ceramics of the 17-18th centuries are chiefly white enamelled ceramics with blue drawings and with white bluish enamel, not fully covering the object. The bulk of the ceramics is gross, with rather monotonous decorations. High class ceramics are not to be found as in preceding periods.
The chinese earthenwares appear in large quantity, dating chiefly from the 17-18th centuries, and come mainly from the ceramics ovens of south China, comprising bowls, dishes… white enamelled with blue drawings, white bluish enamelled, or white enamelled with coloured drawings.
The japanese earthenwares, in smaller quantity, are bowls, dishes white enamelled with blue drawings (Hizen) dating from the 17th century, and which for the first time can be restored wholly as well for the form as for the decorations.
Following the apparition and the evolution of the groups of materials in the collection, one can somehow know the extent of the constructions of the site. It is the mobilisation of a very large quantity of materials and of architectural decorations, together with the normalization of materials, of colours, of the dimensions and of the motives of decoration.
The group of specimens of earthenware, as well as other material vestiges, reflect the ancient life of the center of Lam Kinh. The character of royal palace appears clearly in the high class earthenware objects, the character of the center of Lam Kinh is also distinctly proved through worship objects composing most of the collection of vestiges. At the same time, it is a clear proof that the palaces Ta Vu and Huu Vu are places of preparation of ceremonies for the service of temples of the center of Lam Kinh, a question which has not received a consensus from specialists.
Nguyễn Văn Đoàn