Lady card to enter and exit the inner palace during King Le Thanh Tong’s reign
According to the representative of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, this card was discovered in 2021, in an excavation hole east of the Hau Lau relic (symbol 21.DKT.H1.L2-3) – in the post-inner palace area of the period. Le So and Le Trung Hung.
The card “The Palace Maid always appears”.” discovered in 2021 at Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Photo: HTTL
The card is made of copper metal, flat, thin, isosceles trapezoid shape, the two corners of the top edge of the trapezoid are curved. The card is 12.7cm tall; bottom edge 4.9cm wide; top edge 4.6cm wide; the top is 0.11cm thick; Bottom thickness: 0.10cm. The edges of this pair of cards are rounded to reduce the sharpness of the edges. On the central axis from top to bottom of the card, 1.3cm from the top, there is a small hole, hole diameter 0.3cm. This hole is to thread the card strap.
Both sides are engraved with Chinese characters, the writing is deep and clear. The first side is engraved with 5 words 宮女出買牌 Palace ladies keep playing cards. The letters are arranged in a vertical row, in the middle of the card, the letter size is larger than the letters on the other side. This is the main side of the card. The second side, the back of the card, is engraved with 11 words, arranged in two vertical rows, the first row (from right to left) is 4 words 宫字五號 Palace with five names; hàng thứ hai 7 chữ Made in April of the seventh year of Guangshun Quang Thuan is seven years old and four months old. (April, the 7th year of Quang Thuan, reign of King Le Thanh Tong, 1466).
The cards are made of copper, both sides are engraved with Chinese characters. Photo: HTTL
The terracotta architectural model of the Early Le Dynasty is recognized as a National Treasure as the only artifact
Associate Professor Dr. Tong Trung Tin – Chairman of the Vietnam Archaeological Association said that the architectural model made of green glazed terracotta during the early Le period was found during the excavation in 2021. This is the first time scientists Discovering a model of a house of the Early Le Dynasty at Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Initial research shows that these are fragments of a roof of a multi-storey terracotta model, located in the cultural layer of the Early Le Dynasty (15th – 16th centuries).
The terracotta architectural model of the Early Le Dynasty has just been recognized as a National Treasure. Photo: HTTL
The architectural model has a complete structure consisting of 3 parts: the foundation, the load-bearing column frame and the roof. The architectural model of the Early Le Dynasty, Thang Long Imperial Citadel is essentially the remains of a completed project. This remaining part includes part of the roof and part of the structural frame.
The full frame includes columns, beams and reinforcement systems. The architectural model of the Early Le Dynasty, Thang Long Imperial Citadel remains a part of the upper part of the frame including: column system, beam system; fighting system. In particular, the column system includes main columns, military columns (porch columns); The beam system has the following components: first beam, upper beam, lower beam (equivalent to armpit beams in trapezoidal architecture); The bracket system includes components: brackets, brackets, angles and square beams. The frame is covered with dark yellow enamel, often called eel skin enamel.
The column system has a total of 16 columns, including 04 large columns often called master columns and 12 small columns, often called porch columns and military columns. The columns only have the upper part where they connect with the first verse (for main columns) and the lower part (for porch columns). Large column diameter 2.4cm; Military column diameter 1.5cm. The distribution of the columns shows that the architecture has a rectangular plan, a larger roof length (35.1cm long), a small roof length 32.6cm long.
The joint structure is clearly shown on the terracotta architectural model of the Early Le Dynasty. Photo: HTTL
Larger edges are the front and back of the building; The smaller side is the side of the building. The architecture has a structure of one compartment, two wings (retracted compartment), the middle compartment is 12cm wide (from the center of the column), the retracted compartment has an equivalent space of 5.5cm; The distance between two main columns in a porch is 15.0cm, between the main column and the porch column is 5cm. The main columns and 3 corresponding military columns at each corner form a square, ensuring that the frame structure fits together. The current state of the columns is unevenly spaced, however before burning, the columns are aligned and evenly spaced according to the rules. Burning has deformed the structure to its current state.
The beam system includes: first beam, upper beam, lower beam.
There are 2 first lines, connecting 2 pairs of main columns, one first line is not aligned with the square beams (corresponding position of the armpit beams). To ensure that the master column and the three corresponding rook columns are at an angle to form a square plan, the master column has to be slightly adjusted so that the first verse is not aligned with the corresponding armpit beams.
The upper beam has 2 sets of upper beams connecting the two corresponding main columns at the two rfollowings. These beams are basically located on the axis system with the corresponding armpit beams. The upper beam has a rectangular cross-section structure, the square beams in the joint system located in the middle of the main room are all connected to this beam.
Lower beams (column head beams) are a system of beams that connect the ends of columns together and support the roof and corner connection system. The beam has a rectangular cross-section, placed through the end of the column, the remaining end of the beam is curved.
Support system: includes 04 corner support systems and 08 support systems placed on the top of columns (pillar supports) and 04 space support systems placed on the lower beam system. The joints are shaped, square, and tapered at the bottom; The outer end of the porch beam is decorated with a dragon’s head, a jade mouth, and a tongue.
Associate Professor Dr. Tong Trung Tin admitted that up to now, this is the only terracotta architectural model of the Early Le Dynasty. Photo: HTTL
The full roof set includes: roof support frame with components; diaphragms, rfollowings, tiles and other parts on the roof. The structure of the artifact shows that the full roof set is inherent in the architectural model of the Early Le Dynasty, Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a two-storey structure, 8 roofs (2-storey stack, 8 roofs) or two-storey roof. The remaining part is the first roof floor, the second roof floor has not been found.
Although we have not yet found all the parts that make up a complete model, we can see that the elements that make up the roof include round diaphragms, rfollowings, flat porch rfollowings, and roof leaves. The top is covered with tube tiles, also known as yin-yang tiles. The eaves tiles have round ends and are decorated with flowers. The roof border roof tiles have the structure of “the first sentence of the water extract” or also known as bib strip tiles, the inside of the bib strip is decorated with patterns.
The roof is covered with many layers of tiles, ending with a strip that has the same structure as a poplar tile, but the tile tip curves upward, giving the roof a curved and flying feeling. The diaphragm, rfollowings, and roofing components are covered with dark yellow enamel similar to the color of the load-bearing frame. The tiles are covered with green enamel (lazuli). Through the color of the enamel, it can be seen that the structures that were actually made of wood will be covered with yellow enamel, and the roof tiles will be covered with green enamel.
“The documentary value that the relics bring is very high, providing new highly authentic and rare documents for architectural research and the decorative arts of traditional Vietnamese architecture. Up to now, this is a model The only terracotta architecture of the early Le period. Therefore, this relic allows us to learn a few features regarding the architecture of the early Le period as well as the architecture of Thang Long…”, Associate Professor, Dr. Tong Trung Tin affirmed.