In the history of Vietnam and the culture of the East in general, gold is regarded as the most precious material, symbolizing the royal authority of kings and emperors.
From the very beginning, gold has captivated civilizations around the world. Since its discovery, gold has been considered a symbol of beauty, power, purity, and achievement. Its natural beauty not only makes it mysteriously valuable but also renders it one of the most useful metals in the world.
In Vietnam, each dynasty and era has its own unique characteristics, creating distinct identities. However, only gold has consistently been viewed as a symbol of supreme power, significantly contributing to the division of social classes.
Rare Precious Metal
Gold is a rare precious metal.
Gold is a rare precious metal, often used as a neutron reflector in nuclear weapons (W71), for minting coins, jewelry, and various forms of art throughout recorded history.
To date, the total amount of gold mined by humans is approximately 190,000 tons, with more than two-thirds extracted after 1950. Thus, over thousands of years of history, the amount of gold owned by humanity remains relatively low.
Due to its scarcity, gold is often not traded widely but is primarily used for crafting high-end handicrafts.
Gold reserves are also considered part of a nation’s total wealth. Historically, rulers and governments accumulated gold mainly to fund military campaigns, and in most eras, government policies often emphasized the acquisition and retention of “treasures.”
At the end of 2020, a revelation indicated that underground gold reserves would be depleted within the next 18 years unless new gold mines are discovered.
Gold as a Measure of Social Class
Throughout the historical periods of various dynasties, gold has always been a highly valued metal. Alongside it, there has always been a strong symbolic meaning, closely linked to the highest social status values.
The reason gold was chosen as the symbol for the royal court, reserved for kings and emperors, is closely related to the Five Elements theory. According to this theory, the color gold corresponds to Earth (Soil).
The throne of the Nguyễn dynasty is placed in the most honored position in the Thái Hòa Palace (Imperial City of Huế).
Therefore, the ancients believed that this was the appropriate color to represent the authority of the Son of Heaven. Consequently, in Eastern feudal dynasties, the color gold only appeared on the attire of kings and emperors, and gold was used as a symbol of power and wealth.
According to Vietnamese historical records, the royal court of the Nguyễn dynasty had a strong affinity for gold. From the time of the Nguyễn lords (ancestors of the Nguyễn dynasty), when establishing the Đàng Trong government (1558-1777), they began implementing policies for gold mining and developing the jewelry-making industry.
The Nguyễn lords even provided food supplies and encouraged citizens to mine gold for the court, establishing professional gold-seeking teams on land, as well as collecting gold and silver from foreign ships wrecked in coastal waters.
Prior to this, historical texts recorded that golden garments had been banned among the common people since around 1182 when the court tightened regulations to assert social class distinctions.
The color gold was then only permitted to appear on the royal garments to signify authority. During the Nguyễn dynasty, there were even distinctions of rank and class based on different shades of gold.
National Treasures
Image of the gold seal of the Nguyễn dynasty introduced on the official website of the MILLON auction house. (Photo: Millon).
During its 143 years of existence, the Nguyễn dynasty produced over 100 seals, typically cast in gold and silver (referred to as kim bảo), crafted from precious stones (called ngọc tỷ). Generally, the structure and design of these seals consist of two parts: the seal body and the seal handle. The main symbol on the seals is a dragon, with five claws.
Kim bảo and ngọc tỷ each have their own functions. For example, the Đại Việt quốc Nguyễn chúa vĩnh trấn chi bảo from the time of the lords was used as a treasured heirloom of the Nguyễn family; the Phong Tặng chi bảo and Sắc mệnh chi bảo were used to seal documents for promotions and honors for civil and military officials, as well as for domestic matters; the Khâm văn chi tỷ was exclusively used for cultural documents such as requests for talented individuals, opening exams, and publishing books.
In addition to the seals used in governance, there are also types used for conferring titles (often accompanied by golden books), for worship (for deceased emperors), or simply to seal literary works and paintings during leisure time, such as those by Emperor Tự Đức and Emperor Khải Định…
It is evident that kim bảo and ngọc tỷ are national treasures of Vietnam. However, it is regrettable that some symbolic seals have been lost, stolen, or destroyed throughout the historical development of the dynasties.
As of now, the Vietnam National Museum of History still retains 85 seals made of gold, precious stones, and silver from the Nguyễn dynasty.
