Nghé figurine
| Accession Nr.: | 61.366.1 |
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| Type: | statuette; pottery |
| Date of production: |
17 − 18th century
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| Place of production: |
| Materials/Techniques: | stoneware, brown glazed |
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| Dimensions: | height: 19 cm lenght: 17, 5 cm width: 9 cm pedestal: lenght: 12 cm pedestal: width: 9 cm |
A statue of a mystical dog-shaped creature (nghé) with a ball bite in its mouth, decorated with flaming torches, on a pedestal. The nghé is an important symbol for the Vietnamese people, a highly revered spirit, not to be confused with the Chinese fo dog. It also represents wisdom and loyalty and is often placed as a gatekeeper in front of temples and gateways. The ceramic figurine in the picture was a gift from the Museum of History of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Hopp Museum collection in 1961. The place of manufacture is the Bát Tràng ceramic village, in a district of Hanoi, where the popular Bát Tràng porcelain has been made for seven hundred years.