15/07/2025
Ep.5. Mosaic Art in Vietnam: A Cultural Journey Through Shells, Tiles, Stones, and Wood
🖌️Vietnamese mosaic art, known locally as “tranh khảm”, elegantly combines fragments of shell, ceramic, stone, and wood to create vivid images and patterns. Though mosaics exist globally, Vietnam boasts its own distinctive traditions shaped by a thousand-year cultural heritage. From artisanal villages near Ha Noi to the imperial capital of Hue, these artworks reveal the harmony of craftsmanship, symbolism, and daily life.
1. Mother-of-Pearl Inlay (Khảm Trai)
The oldest Vietnamese mosaic art centers around khảm trai—inlaying mother-of-pearl into wood. Historical records from Chuôn Ngọ village (Phú Xuyên, near Hanoi) trace this craft back to General Trương Công Thành in the Lý Dynasty (11th century). Worshiped as a local hero, he taught villagers how to embed shimmering shell pieces into carved wooden boards.
Today, Chuôn Ngọ remains the national hub for inlay art, producing religious panels, furniture, portraits, and modern-wide appeal export items. The process requires meticulous precision—drawings, shell sawing, wood carving, fitting, and polishing take weeks or even months
2. Khảm Sành Sứ
A dynamic counterpart, khảm sành sứ, uses broken ceramics and glass. The earliest large-scale examples date back to Hue’s Imperial City, beginning in 1805 under the Nguyễn dynasty The mausoleum of Emperor Khải Định (built 1920–1931) is a masterpiece: ceilings, walls, and statues shimmer with porcelain shards reflecting imperial opulence. The aesthetic appeals have spread — now seen in tombs, pagodas, and even communal cemeteries like An Bang Village’s “City of the Dead,” where lavish mosaic mausoleums line the roads. This communal usage underscores communal memory and Vietnamese traditions honoring ancestors.
📍Where to experiences:
1. Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
Add: 97A Phó Đức Chính Street, District 1
2. Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda
Add: 339 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Street, District 3
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