Discovering extremely rare gold treasures in the Tran dynasty

Researchers have just confirmed the golden box in the Tran Dynasty found in Yen Tu (Quang Ninh) on June 21 deserving of the national rankings of Vietnam.

The box was discovered on June 21, during the construction process of widening the road on Yen Tu mountain range. Abbot Thich Quang Hien accidentally discovered a yellow metal box excavated by a excavator from a low hill, belonging to An Sinh commune, Dong Trieu district, Quang Ninh province.

The box is made entirely of gold

The box is crafted entirely in gold, extremely refined, weighing about 15.04 gold thread. The box has a spherical shape, the body is made of 11 soft lotus petals, like a lotus flower, which is pronounced.

The box has the whole cover. The middle of the lid is a very elaborately crafted lotus with 4 layers, the valances of the wings arranged in concentric circles. The outermost layer has 11 wings, the second layer 33 wings, the third layer 28 wings, the inner layer and 15 wings. In the middle of the lid is the knob, which is created like a small lotus, alternating between the layers of lotus petals, which is the floating line and the valances are rounded like pistils.

Box of 4.20cm high. In which the body is 2.84-3,20cm high, the foot is 0.60cm high; oral diameter 4.90cm, trunk diameter (largest place) 5.10cm, diameter of the base 3.50cm.

The box is full of body and lid

However, the most unique and unique feature of the box is that all lotus petals (from the lid to the body) are carved with 4 petals of lemon leaves. Surrounding lemon flowers, the leaves are soft, small circles to create the pattern of brocade. Surrounding the valance lines of each lotus petal is also decorated with very elaborate and beautiful wire leaves.

Dr. Bui Minh Tri, Director of the Center for Economic Research, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the unit invited to inspect the box, said: "All the decorations on the lid and body of the box above are bold. typical imprint of Tran culture in the first half of the 14th century ". According to Dr. Tri, it is likely that the box is useful and deserves to line up national treasures.

According to experts, objects made of gold and silver discovered in historical archaeological sites in North Vietnam are not many, even very rare.

Dr. Vu Quoc Hien, deputy director of the National Museum of History, said that even at his museum there is no gold artifact in the Tran dynasty."It can be said that gold artifacts in the Tran period are extremely rare," he affirmed.

This is a very important archaeological finding - the first time a valuable gold archeological artifact was found in the original Tran homeland. It is known that until now, Dong Trieu District People's Committee will propose to rank national treasures for this precious antiquity.

Some close-up images of the box:

The lid is crafted intricately

Close-up of the box lid pattern

The base of the box is 0.60cm high

Close-up pattern of box body

It is expected that the golden box of lotus shape will be displayed at An Sinh temple relic