On the occasion of the birthday anniversary of King An Dương (the 11th day of the 8th lunar month recorded in the book "Ngọc phả cổ lục"), we would like to send to you articles about the Statue of King An Dương recognized as National Treasure in 2022. Part 3: Typical value of history, culture, science of the nation
Historical value: The statue of King An Dương is the embodiment of the king who founded Âu Lạc State, settled the capital in Cổ Loa, led the people to build fortified citadels, fight against enemies and develop production. In particular, there are many achievements in military art, metallurgy, bronze casting, weapon manufacturing, agricultural production tools, and wet rice agriculture, reflecting outstanding progress in all aspects of the ancient Vietnamese civilization, deserves to be honored as a founding king after King Hùng.
Cultural value: The statue of King An Dương is attached to Thượng Temple - according to legends related to the residence of the King and the Royal Family, and at the same time the metallurgy and bronze casting center of the Âu Lạc’s capital - the place where Co Loa three-pronged bronze arrows were made - " Lien Chau magic crossbow points to mountains - melting mountains, points to forests - burning forests” in legend, that has been passed down through generations of Vietnamese people. His statue is associated with the Cổ Loa festival, honoring the greatest god - King An Duong Vuong in the region and the country. From there, it can be seen that the king's statue represents the tradition of "Drinking water, remember the source", worshiping those who have contributed to the country, expressed through worshiping National Father – Lạc Long Quân, National Mother Âu Cơ, King Hùng and many other ancestors. Accordingly, the statue has symbolic value in the minds of Vietnamese people, and Co Loa people have the eternal honor of worshiping and organizing the festival on January 6 every year. King An Duong Vuong has been worshiped by Co Loa people for many generations. In the beliefs of the Co Loa people, he is both a king and a Saint, a supporter of Gods and Buddhas, a supporter of all generations, praying for peace and prosperity in the country.
.Typical scientific values reflect traditional Vietnamese bronze casting techniques and art: Currently, there are no documents clearly stating the process, manufacturing techniques, or which group of workers cast the statue of King An Dương, but through the experience of some bronze casting artists, the statue was made using traditional Vietnamese handicraft methods, with wax mold casting techniques. To create an image, first the core must be made of clay, then the bronze caster uses beeswax to cover the core to create a pattern. Outside the beeswax layer, add a layer of soil mixed with ”Dó” paper, create a frame for the statue, then add another layer of soil mixed with rice husks. Next, it will be heated so that the beeswax layer melts and molten copper is poured in. After the bronze has cooled, the artisans will remove the mold, cool it and create a finished product.
All of these processes require the artist to have a lot of experience, have a delicate vision, a good aesthetic eye, and convey the soul into the statue to create a valuable work that will be passed down to generations. Although there are no documents recorded about the process of casting the statue of King An Dương, everything about the creation of the statue comes from the same story, which is that it was cast from the "sacred bronze warehouse of the king. Those elements show the sacredness and preciousness of the statue.
The strange thing about the statue is that the ancients cast King An Dương in a sitting position on a pedestal, in a cylindrical shape, not on a throne like other worship statues, such as National Mother of Âu Cơ at Âu Cơ temple, showing closeness to the community or it could also be that the casting material cannot meet it, that is also the uniqueness that makes this statue special.
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