Hue (VNA) - The People’s Committee of central Hue city on August 11 issued a plan to restore the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) imperial throne, a nationally recognised treasure.
The project aims to return the artefact to its original condition, preserving its form, structure, colours, and historical integrity. The restoration supports long-term preservation and highlights the value of this iconic piece.
The initiative follows a vandalism incident on May 24, which left the throne’s left armrest shattered into 14 pieces. The rest of the structure remained intact. Assigned to the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre and the Museum of Royal Antiquities, the urgent restoration seeks to uphold the throne’s authenticity and safeguard its heritage status.
Work will begin with preparing the site and retrieving the throne and broken fragments from storage. Specialists will clean the components, reassemble and stabilise the structure, and restore the lacquer and gilding. A thin, removable protective coating will be applied, followed by anti-mould and dust measures. Upon completion, the throne will return to its original location in Thai Hoa Palace, with preservation carried out in line with national standards.
The throne consists of two parts - the seat and base, both made of lacquered and gilded wood. Four vertical posts connect the base to curved armrests and a backrest carved with the “dragon embracing longevity” motif. The armrests feature bat-leaf patterns and dragon head finials. The rectangular base (87 x 72 cm) is decorated with mirrored glass and ornate carvings, supported by four legs in a traditional kneeling form.
This seat rests on a three-tiered pedestal, also gilded and lacquered. The top tier is adorned with the “two dragons flanking the sun” motif, while the lower tiers show dragons facing a medallion inscribed with the character for longevity. The corners feature dragon-horse figures with trigrams and scroll chests. Iron rings and locking pins on the bottom tier serve as transport handles.
At the time of its national recognition in 2015, the throne was already deteriorating. The right armrest had broken and was wired in place, while the left armrest was cracked with peeling lacquer. Several joints had split, glass inlays were damaged, and some carvings had decayed. Wood rot was also visible.
In 2017, the Museum of Royal Antiquities conducted minor repairs, removing the wire and nails from the damaged armrest, reinforcing joints with bamboo pegs and adhesive, repairing cracks, and restoring missing decorations. Since then, the throne has been displayed in the central chamber of Thai Hoa Palace, its original site within the imperial city./.
Nguyen Dynasty court attire brought back to life
A dazzling collection of restored royal garments from the Nguyen Dynasty including robes once worn by emperors, empresses, crown princes and princesses is on display at an exhibition, recently held in Hanoi.
