A mandarin hat and a monarchical robe from Vietnam's Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) are currently on display at a museum in Hue City after being sold for a total of more than US$800,000 at an auction held by the Spanish auction house Balclis.

Authorities in Thua Thien – Hue Province held a ceremony on Sunday to accept the auction-winning artifacts donated to the province by the Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company.

Nguyen Van Phuong (second from left), chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue Province People's Committee, receives the agreement on cooperation in preserving Nguyen Dynasty antiques from the representative of Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company in Hue City, on April 17, 2022. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

Dinh Chi Hieu, deputy director of Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company, stated during the ceremony that the company received information about the two artifacts following a business trip to Hue and then established a team to focus on locating information and participating in auctions for these two antiques.

"I hope that these artifacts will contribute to the diversity of the Nguyen Dynasty's treasure of antiquities in Hue, to the research, and to the preservation and promotion of the ancient citadel's cultural values," Hieu said.

The monarchical robe that fetched over €160,000 at the Balclis auction house on October 28, 2021 is now on display at Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, Hue City, Vietnam. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Van Phuong, chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue Province People's Committee, expressed his gratitude and praised Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company for donating antiquities.

According to Phuong, the province sincerely hopes that more collectors and individuals will band together to return Nguyen dynasty artifacts to the citadel, which is home to the Nguyen Dynasty's complex of royal palaces.

A close-up of the mandarin hat from Vietnam's Nguyen Dynasty on display at Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, Hue City, Vietnam. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

According to a representative of Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company, the company invested approximately VND35 billion ($1.5 million) in bringing the two antiques to Vietnam.

On the same day, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center and Sunshine Group Joint Stock Company signed an agreement on cooperation in preserving and promoting the value of Hue's ancient heritage.

The mandarin hat is adorned with the dragon patterns. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

In October 2021, two Nguyen Dynasty artifacts shocked the public when they broke a record at the Balclis auction house in Barcelona, Spain's Auctionet auction floor.

The mandarin hat was put up for auction with a starting price of €600 ($696) and eventually sold for €600,000 ($696,000). The royal robe, meanwhile, fetched more than €160,000 ($172,715).

Two antiques are on display at the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, located at 3 Le Truc, Hue City. The museum is open for free to public from now until the end of 2022.

The monarchical robe that fetched over €160,000 at the Balclis auction house on October 28, 2021 is now on display at Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, Hue City, Vietnam. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

A close-up of the mandarin hat from Vietnam's Nguyen Dynasty on display at Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, Hue City, Vietnam. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

The wooden box that goes with the mandarin hat is on display at Hue Royal Antiquities Museum, Hue City, Vietnam. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

Visitors tour the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum in Hue City on April 17, 2022. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

Besides some tiny damage, the mandarin hat is preserved nearly intact after so many years. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

The Nguyen Dynasty King's royal robe is also on display at the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum in Hue City, Vietnam. Photo: Nhat Linh / Tuoi Tre

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