To mark the 100^th birthday of the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, many exhibitions recently took place in the city.  These events attracted a great deal of attention from local cultural researchers, archaeologists and anyone else interested in Cham sculpture.

An exhibition entitled ‘Cham Relics in Da Nang’ featured valuable artifacts, many of which were on public display for the first time.  Amongst them were fragments of pottery, plaster and glass which had been found at the Phong Le and Cam Mit relic sites in Hoa Vang District over recent years. 

Visitors at one of the exhibitions

Also on display at the event was a collection of statues’ heads and the top of Cham towers recently discovered at the district’s Qua Giang relic site, and other valuable findings at the city’s An Son and Ngu Hanh Son pagodas.  These exhibits helped visitors to gain an insight into the locations of Cham relics in Da Nang, which played an important gateway for trade in the reign of the Champa Kingdom.

An item of pottery

The ‘Antiques from the Sa Huynh and Cham Cultures’ exhibition introduced jar-shaped graves, and ceramic and metal items collected by renowned collector Lam Du Xenh from Quang Ngai Province.  The characteristics of the shapes and patterns of these artifacts showed the relationship and direct transition from the late Sa Huynh to Cham cultures.

A collection of statues’ heads and the top of Cham towers

Meanwhile, another exhibition featured Cham script inscriptions in verses and prose carved on such sculptures as steles dating back to the 7^th and 15^th centuries.  These steles bear either hymns dedicated to saints and gods, or letters used as codes to put together the parts of large pedestals including My Son E1 and Dong Duong.

Most notably, a book entitled ‘the Cham Carved Script Characters on Displays at the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture’ highlights Cham verses and prose which have been translated into Vietnamese and English.

A pedestal featuring lotus petals

In addition, some Cham documents written on materials such as paper and leaves reflect the Cham cultural values during its heyday.

As part of a series of activities to mark the 100^th birthday of the museum, a discussion about archaeological excavations at Cham relic sites after 1975 and effective ways to preserve the values of Cham artifacts also recently took place in the city.