Much of the history seen in the United States is from western societies such as England, Italy, and France. However, many other cultures in the east and south had their own prominent forms of artwork. Most of these cultures, as well as many of the ones in the west, have held onto their individual traditions, even after being around for tens of thousands of years. One of these cultures being Vietnam.
Evidence of Vietnamese art was found dating back to the Stone Age with very simplistic works made of clays and stone. The beginning of their unique architecture was around 4000 years ago (1900 BCE) with traditional Vietnamese houses. These houses would be propped up on “stilts” made of large wooden beams to keep the houses from becoming increasingly damp due to its tropical climate. The roofs of these houses were made out of tile and crafter to appear like the scales of a fish.
Nearly 2000 years later was the Ly Dynasty. During this time, Buddhism became rooted into Vietnamese culture and as a result in the structures they created.
Many pagodas were created as well in the Ly Dynasty. Pagodas are Buddhist temples created to worship specific gods. One of the most famed of these is a temple built to resemble a lotus flower. In English, the temple is often referred to as the Lotus temple or One Pillar temple, but its name in Vietnamese is Diên Hựu tự. In Buddhism, the lotus represents spiritual awakening and purity. The temple is built on a single stone pillar in the center of a lotus pond in Ho Chi Minh City.
Diên Hựu tự was created in 1049, under the rule of Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. Legend says that the emperor had a dream about the goddess Mercy sitting on a lotus flower and handing him a baby boy. He created the temple to thank the goddess and pray for these blessings.
Many different forms of art blossomed during the Ly Period such as ceramics. Much of Vietnamese art was inspired by Chinese art, but the ceramics in Vietnam were on a new level of prowess.
One of the main potting styles in the Ly Dynasty was the brown pattern style; they would glaze clay with an ivory color and use a brown glaze over the top for designs. Many of the designs would feature phoenixes, lotuses, dragons, and religious symbols such as Buddha– a Buddhist teacher often known as ‘the awakened one’.
The clays used in Vietnam would sometimes have commodities such as rice husk or limestone mixed into it to create a more original type of formation. Vietnamese ceramics have existed since the prehistoric times when they would craft terracotta instruments and let them fire out in the hot sun, but during the Dong Son period (between 1000 BCE and 300 CE), they began to experiment with crafting kilns and glazes in order to make the pieces more visionary and sturdy.
The Dong Son period was famous for beginning many different staples of Vietnamese artwork. One of the most famous being the bronze drum. The drums were not only used to play music, but also to tell stories. In a similar way to Roman vases, they had images of people, animals, and places drawn along the drums. The art on them would vary based on the drum, but one thing was consistent, the people were drawn with incredibly detailed attire.
Frequently the outfits that would be seen would be ao dai or ao tu than. The ao dai was a simple, long, flowing dress that was made out of differing materials depending on the location it was made.
In the north, they would often use silk. Central Vietnam would use brocade with embroidery, and it was often worn by royalty in the area. Lastly, in the south, cotton and linen were the most commonly used. The ao tu than was a two-piece set that consisted of a tunic shirt and a long skirt that made it appear similar to the ao dai.
After Emperor Ly Thanh Tong’s era came the Trần dynasty, lasting from 1225 to roughly 1400. This age had many similarities to the Ly dynasty, however, its structures became much more intricate.
The Trần dynasty was famous for its detailed towers, such as Binh Son Tower located in Ben Then. Along with towers, the inclusion of gardens into places of worship was started in the Trần dynasty.
The Le dynasty (1428–1788) and Nguyen dynasty (1802–1945) flourished not long after. During this came the rise of incredible sculptures and works of folk art. The structures during this time also became very colorful and artistic. Most buildings were more slender and used bright colors like red and yellow. They would be decorated with motifs of dragons, flowers, and phoenixes frequently; these were often seen in Vietnamese artwork.
They stuck with the roots of wooden houses but strayed away from the roof designs. The newer canopies had many layers, similar to that of a cake, with spaces between them known as co-diem. The co-diems were filled with decorative ceramic tiles and had works of art on the layers that were often painted.
The Nguyen Age was one that enhanced many different forms of art in Vietnam.Vietnamese jewelry was originally pioneered in the Dong Son Age but became increasingly popular in the Nguyen dynasty. It began to be used for royalty, specifically gold and silver started to be used as a symbol of wealth. They would have many precious stones and exquisite enamel work.
They would use precious stones, such as diamonds, gold, and jade for many other antiques. One of which was the “Golden Branch, Jade Leaves”, which lived in royal houses and tombs during the Nguyen dynasty for different emperors. It is a delicate artificial flower branch sculpture.
Vietnam was invaded by many different world powers throughout its history: France, the United States, and four times by China. However, it has always managed to hang on to its own immense and rich history. Many things changed, but the roots have always been visible in the extensive art works of the country.
