Livre impérial en cuivre et son coffret en bois laqué
Vietnam, XIXe siècle, daté 1858

An imperial copper book and lacquered wood bookcase
Vietnam, 19th century, dated 1858

Each page: 22.5 x 13.5 cm (8 7/8 x 5 1/4 in)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Acquired by a Dutch banker in Vietnam in the 1960s (by repute)
Thence in the family by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Private collection, USA


The cover pages of the book are made of a single thick sheet of copper, and are finely decorated in repoussée with a fierce four-clawed imperial dragon, standing, front-facing, amidst clouds above raging waters with cresting and foaming waves. The dragon is flanked by a row of flowers in hexagonal cartouches and a bat at each corner of the page. The six inner pages are each divided into five columns finely chased and engraved with Chinese characters. Four copper rings bind the pages and covers together.

Born in 1762, Princess Ngọc Du (Công Chúa Ngọc Du, 1762-1820) was the sister of Emperor Gia Long (r. 1802-1820). This book which dates to the 14th day of the 6th month of the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Tu Duc (1858), was made as a replacement of a silver book with which Emperor Minh Mạng bestowed on his aunt the posthumous title of Princess Phúc Lộc (Phúc Lộc Công Chúa Ngọc Du 福祿公主玉瑜) in the 10th year of his reign of Emperor Minh Mạng (1829).

Such books for Kings, Queens, Queen Mothers, Princes and Princesses were traditionally made of gold. Books made of silver, gold-plated copper or bronze were used for subordinates and other occupations. They were manufactured by artisans working in workshops attached to the Ministry of Rituals. Such books were kept in a silver or wooden box. They were used to record important court affairs, such as the enthronement of emperors, the establishment of crown princes and empresses, and the conferment of titles and honours upon royal family members and officials. Further to granting rank, this kind of ceremonial book was also intended to be used as an object of posthumous worship that was placed on family altars.

Facing financial hardship due to war reparations imposed by France in 1862, Emperor Tu Duc reclaimed all gold and silver books and replaced them with copper ones.

Compare with a similar book, sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 March 2018, Lot 30.
This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: *
* VAT on imported items at a reduced rate of 5.5% on the hammer price and the prevailing rate on buyer's premium if the item remains in EU.

TVA sur les objets importés à un taux réduit de 5.5% sur le prix d'adjudication et un taux en vigueur sur la prime d'achat dans le cas où l'objet reste dans l'Union Européenne.

The copper book: There are occasional some small dents and nicks to the surfaces and along the edges, notably one dent to the bottom of the front cover, as visible in images. Small tears to the lower edges of the last two pages. The pages are slightly bent and uneven. There is some oxidization and scratches throughout.
The box: The surface is worn, with scratches and stains throughout. The top of the cover has burn marks. There are several splits at the joint areas of the wood, with associated paint losses. All as visible in images.
Please contact Alvina Ang (Alvina.Ang@bonhams.com) for related condition report images.