Unique Dragon Seals of Bat Trang Village
Inspired by the Nguyen Dynasty's golden imperial seal of “Hoang de chi bao” (Treasure of the Emperor) which was recently handed over to Vietnam at a ceremony held at the Vietnamese Embassy in France, the skilled artisans of Bat Trang pottery village (Gia Lam - Hanoi) have created unique dragon seals adorned with gold, meeting the demand of the people in the Year of the Dragon.
I nside a workshop nestled deep within the village, the working atmosphere is bustling with highly skilled craftsmen meticulously creating each line and detail on the dragon seals intricately gilded with gold.
To craft a seal, it must go through numerous stages. The artisan must shape the clay, a meticulous process where every engraved line requires precision. Afterward, the seal undergoes its first firing. Once out of the kiln, it moves on to the eagerly anticipated gold gilding stage. Skilled craftsmen use a liquid gold mixture to apply gold to every line on the dragon seal. It then undergoes a second firing for six to eight hours to achieve prominence and sophistication.
Pham Viet Khoa from Bat Trang village who has nearly 40 years of experience in the pottery profession, shares that creating a unique gold-gilded ceramic seal requires the collaboration of five skilled craftsmen, each taking turns from shaping to molding, creating the product's form, completing the rough part, glazing, firing the pottery, and finally moving on to the gold gilding stage. Each stage has its requirements, different implementation times, and not every seal produced meets the standards. Only those without cracks and with beautiful glaze colors proceed to the gold gilding stage.
A completed dragon seal features the characters "AnThuan-Phat" (lit. Peaceful-Convenient-Prosperous) on three sides and a bas-relief carving of carp transforming into a dragon on the remaining side, symbolizing transformation, excellence, and transitioning into a new era.
Story: Khanh Long
Photos: Cong Dat/VNP
Translated by Hong Hanh