As many as 60 sacred animal sculptures from the Ly, Tran and the later Le dynasties are being showcased at an exhibition on Vietnam’s ancient feline masterpieces in Hanoi on November 7.

The exhibition, the first of its kind, is jointly organised by the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum and Nam Dinh Museum, with a view to introducing and popularising the nation’s art heritage and providing an opportunity for the public to learn more about two traditional holy animals: lion and Nghe which is a fictional creature with lion-like head, long tail and dog-like body.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Director of the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum said the exhibition aimed to increase the nation’s awareness of Vietnam’s unique spiritual artistic heritage at a time when foreign art influences were starting to displace Vietnamese art.

Most of the objects on display at the exhibition belong to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum and Nam Dinh Museum.

A number of objects on the beauty of Vietnamese spiritual art ranging from the Ly to Nguyen dynasties also feature in the exhibition.

An interactive education programme, including a variety of creative activities, was developed in order to boost students’ knowledge and foster respect for the country’s traditional cultural heritage.

The exhibition is being held at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, until November 17.-VNA