The worship space of the ancient Vietnamese appeared many stone collapses, most of which were made of smooth and flat surfaces, but the long sieve surface at the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang (Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh) is decorated with a scrolling dragon image. with many rare and unique details showing the authority of the emperor.

Dragon sieve stone carved buffalo, mouse combined with a unique dragon image

The long sieve in front of the road (located at the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang) was made by the people of Truong Yen in the late seventeenth century, (17th Chinh Hoa era, 1696) with monolithic limestone of geological age. about 300 million years.

The long sieve placed on the courtyard to worship King Dinh Tien Hoang is a rectangular stone block weighing about 2 tons, 18 cm thick, 188 cm long, 138 cm wide; the base is made of 9 stone blocks of unequal size, 3 blocks in front, 4 blocks behind, 1 block on each side.

In the seventeenth century, society had many changes, the village culture flourished, the motifs on the long sieve had distinct secular colors, with images of shrimp, fish, mink, mouse, bird, and pig. , humor.

In the middle of the surface of the dragon sieve is carved a dragon symbolizing the king’s power. Dragon circled on the face, head facing east, looking up at the top of Ma Yen mountain. The strange thing is that three of the four genera of dragons are anthropomorphized by sculptors in the shape of human arms and hands, all facing inward.

The base consists of 9 stone blocks, of unequal size, smooth rounded, retracted to the top, creating a solid position to support the long sieve. All four sides of the base are decorated with the same basic embossed pattern with a project of rolling vines, rattan patterns, and symmetry. In the middle of the front of the base, there is the image of a communal house in the middle of a cloud pattern.

Temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang in Hoa Lu Ancient Capital’s historical and cultural relic site (Truong Yen commune) is a shining symbol of the spirit of national independence, the sense of self-reliance and self-reliance of generations of ancestors. early construction of the country. Along with the dragon sieve in the foreign land, the two dragons were recognized by the Prime Minister as a National Treasure on December 25, 2017.

Around the face of the dragon sieve, it is carved with decorative frills with elaborately trimmed, sophisticated and diverse patterns, not following the rules of symmetry. The front frill is the image of a two-dragon adoring a Japanese dragon with a mighty sword rhyme; The back fringe is decorated with wild animals, living in rivers and streams, fields close to farmers such as shrimp, fish, rats, buffalo…

The details carved on the stone around the base of the long sieve are very sharp and delicate.

Researchers assessed that the appearance of ordinary animals on the dragon’s trap – a solemn sacrifice in a sanctuary, symbolizing the ultimate kingship is a rare and unique thing in art. the shape of the Vietnamese people in the past. This also shows the popularized conception of the inseparable connection between elements in the universe such as heaven and earth; the king and the people, between the noble and the simple.

Panoramic view of dragons in the space of the dragon yard.

The two sides of the dragon sieve are a pair of stone dragons of the right size, showing majesty and power.

Close-up of the stone dragon on the left of the dragon sieve.

A decorative dragon on the base of the front of the sieve.

Close-up of soft sculptural details. The base consists of nine stone blocks, of unequal sizes, evenly rounded, retracted to the top, creating a solid position to support the long sieve.

The long sieve of the temple to worship King Dinh Tien Hoang is a typical artifact for the solemnity in the worshiping space of the Vietnamese people, symbolizing the kingship of the feudal court, the decorative art of many concepts, rich in humanity. contains many mysterious messages, is a unique and unique artifact in our country.Follow Dan trí