THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Government News
Viet Nam strives to repatriate imperial seal
VGP - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the Embassy of Viet Nam in France to conduct necessary measures to repatriate the imperial golden seal of the Nguyen Dynasty that has set to be auctioned soon by a Paris-based action house.
The imperial golden seal of the Nguyen Dynasty
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the above statement at a press briefing on November 3 in response to a question about French auction house Millon preparing to sell a golden seal made in 1823 under the reign of King Minh Mang (from 1820 to 1841), along with other antiquities hailing from or related to Viet Nam.
According to the diplomat, over the past days, under the Government’s direction, the Foreign Ministry, the Embassy of Viet Nam in France, and the Viet Nam Delegation to UNESCO have been working closely with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), other ministries and sectors to liaise with the French Foreign Ministry and Culture Ministry, the Embassy of France in Viet Nam, along with leaders of UNESCO and the auction house to verify information and defer the auction.
On October 31, the Vietnamese Embassy said that the auction would be postponed until November 10.
The Foreign Ministry is directing the Embassy of Viet Nam in France and the Viet Nam Delegation to UNESCO to coordinate with and assist the MCST to seek possibilities and take necessary measures for repatriating the antiquities.
The golden seal, weighing over 10kg and symbolizing the King’s supreme power, had a starting price of about EUR 2 - 3 million (US$1.9 - 2.9 million)./.