The Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is in the process of finding a way to bring home two Nguyen Dynasty antiques, which are about to be auctioned in France by auction house Million, as soon as possible.
A golden seal is scheduled to put up for auction in Paris on October 31(Photo: MILLON auction house)
According to details given by Labour Newspaper, the MCST sent an official dispatch to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-ordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in France and the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in France to work directly with Paris-based MILLON auction house. They have been working together in an attempt to verify information relating to two Nguyen Dynasty antiques, including their owner, legality, expected selling price, and ability to negotiate direct purchases without auction.
Based on discussions held with the auction house, the Ministry will propose the most suitable plan in order to repatriate the antiques in accordance with the laws of the host country and international practices.
The Ministry stated that if the seal was the ‘Hoang de chi bao (Emperor's Treasure)’, then it had been used for the country’s public and political activities throughout a historical period and carried significant historical and cultural value.
According to a release published on its website, the French auction house which was founded in 1928, will put 329 antiques up for auction on October 31 (Paris time).
Two among them were said to be from the Nguyen Dynasty which ruled from 1802 to 1945, becoming the last Vietnamese feudal dynasty. They are a golden seal cast dating back to 1823 during the reign of King Minh Mang who ruled from 1820 to 1841, and a golden bowl dating back to the reign of King Khai Dinh who ruled from 1917 to 1925.