In order to carry out the project Collecting and conserving objects and adjusting exhibition content and design at the Thanh Hóa Museum phase 2010-2020 and the plan of object collecting in 2014 as well as to commemorate the 90th year since the discovery of Đông Sơn Culture, the Thanh Hóa Museum has collected eight bronze drums, five of which are of Heger I type, two of Heger II type, and one of Heger III type. They all were found in the area of Thanh Hóa Province.
Bronze drums were creative, unique works. They were symbol of Vietnamese civilization in the ancient time. In 1902, in the book “Alte metalltramels aus Sudost Asien”, Austrian scholar F. Heger classified four type of bronze drums from his research about 165 bronze drums of many famous museums in the world. These are: Heger I, Heger II, Heger III, Heger IV types. In addition, there are three intermediary types: Heger I-II, Heger I-IV, Heger II-IV. Until now, most of Vietnamese and foreign scholars accepted this classification of bronze drums.
In 2001, running the project “Collecting, conserving, correcting and editing the form and content of the exhibition in Thanh Hoa museum, 2010-2020 phase”, the museum did collect a lot of unique, valuable and rare artifacts, adding up to the exhibition and store, with different materials and types, such as, bronze drums, basket-shaped bronze containers, production tools, stone ornaments… This paper is about the big peach-shaped ink stone being kept in stone sub-store.
Thanh Hóa is an ancient land; it has a storage of precious legacy, which is bronze drums of all types. One of the most typical features of these drums was expressed through the forming and motif creating art.
Quảng Xương bronze drum was bought by a French customs bureaucrat named Pajot in Quảng Xương, Thanh Hóa in 1934. It is now stored at the Vietnam National History Museum. The drum is classified as type Heger I, group A, category A5, which is the type of valuable drum made quite early.
Thanh Hoa is a province of “sacred land”. Therefore, many heroic persons appeared over there. In its history, this province was called the land “three Kings, two Lords”. There were famous heroes in national history as: Le Hoan, Le Loi, Kings and Lords of Nguyen dynasty, Trinh Lords of Le dynasty…
Cẩm Giang bronze drum is currently stored at the Thanh Hóa Provincial Museum. It is one of 37 artifacts that were recognized as the National Treasures according to the Decision No. 2599/QĐ-TTg signed by the Prime Minister of Việt Nam on December 30th, 2013.
The bronze drums in our country were first recorded in history 2,000 years ago. In late 19th century early 20th century, the bronze drums were classified by European researchers into scientific categories. Among various classifications, the one made by F. Heger, an Austrian divided bronze drums into four main types: Heger I, Heger II, Heger III, and Heger IV, which are abbreviated HI, HII, HIII, HIV respectively, and subcategories.
Đông Sơn bronze drums are typical artifacts of the Đông Sơn Culture and a brilliant symbol of the Đông Sơn Culture in the world.
The book Bronze Drums in Thanh Hóa is an attractive work that gives a comparatively full introduction about the Đông Sơn bronze drums. It updates almost all materials about this kind of bronze drums in Thanh Hóa. Mrs. Hoàng Thị Chiến, the director of the Thanh Hóa Museum, is its chief author. The book that was published in 2013 by the Vietnam Social Sciences Publishing House consists of 291 pages in the format of 26x36,5cm.
Represented Objects