Vietnam, Dynastie des Nguyen, règne de Bao Dai (1932-1945) - Lot 154

Vietnam, Dynastie des Nguyen, règne de Bao Dai (1932-1945) Exceptional and rare imperial "Dragon dress" known as "Long Bao" with wide yellow silk sleeves, lined with orange silk and embroidered with polychrome and gold threads. This imperial dress combines the main codes of the emperor's robes. It is tied on the right side with two ribbons (tùy luu) of yellow silk (a color reserved for the emperor), tied at the front to the collar. Created on yellow silk fashioned from polychrome silk threads (monochrome blue, shades of coral and pink, green, beige) and gold thread, the decoration is vividly revealed, the colors bursting with freshness. On the chest, a dragon, unfurled among clouds in the shape of a ruyi, faces the sacred pearl encircled by flames. Embellished with gold thread, it flies over the Thô character, a symbol of longevity. Two other dragons emerge from the foaming waves. They surround the three mountain peaks, a symbol found on Chinese imperial robes, and seem to support the longevity character. The chevrons forming the lower part of the dress are embellished with blossoming lotus flowers and two sparkling stars. These symbols, absent from Chinese dresses, were added during the reign of Khai Dinh. Other dragons, on sleeves and shoulders, evolve among bats, peonies, peaches and precious objects (Buddhist canopy, lustral water vase, perfect knot, ruyi scepters). Each element here refers to symbols of longevity, protection and auspiciousness. They highlight the emperor's central position in the celestial hierarchy. Present on the chest, back, shoulders and arms, the dragon plays a prominent role in the Long Bao decoration, symbolizing protection for the emperor. Vietnam, influenced by its Chinese neighbor, has long attributed to the dragon an essential role in balancing rainfall, and guaranteeing harmony on Earth and the order of things. Over time, this image came to be associated with that of the sovereign. The latter is designated as the heir to the Mandate of Heaven, and must guarantee celestial order on Earth. The link between the people of Vietnam and the dragon is even closer and more ancient, as the ancient Hong Bang dynasty (8th-3rd century BC) considered the kings to be "of the dragon race", and the population to be descended from "the union of a descendant of an Immortal and a dragon's daughter". One of the dragon's eyes is slightly missing. H. 145 cm - L. 240 cm. Estimate on request. Exceptional, rare and unique robe of Emperor Bao Dai, worn on the occasion of his coronation as Emperor of Annam. Anchored by traditionalism and symbolism Provenance : French private collection, by direct descent. This unique and extremely rare gown was made and worn for the coronation of Bao Dai, of the Nguyen imperial dynasty dynasty (1802-1945), 13th and last reigning emperor of the Annam Empire. Kept in Vietnam, then in France by the Imperial family, it is (released) and presented for the first and only time to date since the Coronation of Bao Dai, during the "L'Envol du Dragon" Exhibition at the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, from July 9 to September 15, 2014. On December 7, 2023, Maison Delon-Hoebanx is honored and particularly moved to pay tribute to the last emperor of Annam, whose dress, charged with history and nostalgia, preserves the memory of the long and great Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). Nguyen Phuc Vinh Thuy, known as Bao Dai, "Guardian of Greatness" (1913-1997) Bao Dai was born on October 22, 1913 at the imperial citadel in Hué, Vietnam. The only son of Emperor Khai Dinh and Queen Mother Tu Cung, he was the thirteenth and last emperor of the Nguyen dynasty founded by Nguyen Phuc Anh, better known by his reigning name, Gia Long (1802-1820). Bao Dai was crowned Emperor of Annam shortly after his father's death in 1926. In a complex geopolitical context, he finally abdicated in 1945, under pressure from the Viet Minh, who said "It is better to be a citizen of an independent country than a king of a slave country". He returned to power in 1949 as Head of State, before being definitively removed from political responsibilities in 1955, overthrown by his Prime Minister. He then went into exile in France, where he led a relatively discreet life, distancing himself from Vietnamese politics. Bao Dai married Marie Thérèse Nguyen Huu Thi Lan in 1934, and she became Empress Nam Phuong, a title no woman had ever received before in the country's history. The Emperor died in Paris in 1997, bringing to an end a life marked by the complexities of twentieth-century Vietnamese history. "Dragon dress" emblem of power and royalty