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| The national treasure “Nguyen Dynasty’s Throne” had been displayed at Thai Hoa Palace before it was damaged. Photo: Hue Monuments Conservation Center |
The goal is to restore the artifact to a condition as close as possible to when it was recognized as a national treasure in 2015, while also adhering to the principles of preserving its original elements and historical value.
According to the plan, damaged details will be restored to their original state without adding new patterns or motifs. Original marks will be kept if they do not affect the artifact's structure.
The restoration will be carried out by a skilled and experienced team, along with appropriate professional organizations and units. Once completed, the artifact must have the causes of damage removed to the maximum extent as possible, the durability to be increased, its original shape, size, and aesthetic value to be retained. The restoration will only proceed after the proposed solutions have been approved by competent authorities.
The restoration process is expected to follow nine steps, including: site preparation, moving the artifact, scientific cleaning, reassembling fragments, fully reassembling the artifact, stabilizing the gilded lacquer layer, restoring the lacquer and gold leaf, applying a protective coating, and checking for final acceptance. After restoration, the “Nguyen Dynasty’s Throne” will be returned to its display location at Thai Hoa Palace, with a preservation plan that complies with national standards for artifact storage (TCVN 13568:2022), and cultural heritage conservation standards for display lighting (TCVN 14167:2024).
Hue City People's Committee has assigned the Department of Culture and Sports to evaluate the plan's content and submit it to the city's People's Committee for approval following the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. It will also advise on the establishment of a specialized council to oversee the entire restoration process.
Hue Monuments Conservation Center is assigned to closely monitor progress and reporting to the city's People's Committee and the specialized council. Hue Royal Antiquities Museum will directly supervise the restoration, collaborate with the consulting unit to develop technical plans, and incorporate any necessary adjustments during the process. The contractor will be selected based on their experience in preserving, restoring relics and restoring artifacts, and their team of highly skilled artisans…