Police to stop theft of shipwreck antiques (Vietnam)

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Police to stop theft of shipwreck antiques
Sept. 11, 2012 / http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/social-issues/229912/police-to-stop-theft-of-shipwreck-antiques.html

QUANG NGAIi (VNS) — Police in central Quang Ngai Province are coordinating with relevant agencies to prevent local people from collecting antiques from a shipwreck that was recently discovered in the area.

The shipwreck was discovered by local fishermen on September 7, in waters belonging to Binh Son District's Binh Chau Commune.

Hundreds of local residents rushed to salvage the antique items from the wreckage soon after news of the discovery broke.

The recovered antiques are predominantly china and jade bowls and dishes. Doan Ngoc Khoi, deputy director of a local museum, announced on September 9 that inspection of the items suggests that they are from the Ming Dynasty of China, who ruled in the 15th century. —VNS

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Quang Ngai blockades the shipwreck with 500-year-old antiques
Sept. 13, 2012 / http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/art-entertainment/47953/quang-ngai-blockades-the-shipwreck-with-500-year-old-antiques.html

VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ngai Province has asked the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s permission to excavate antiquities in a shipwreck in Binh Chau and to send experts of the Archaeological Institute to survey the shipwreck.

On September 11, in the face of hundreds of fishermen rushed to salvage antiques in Chau Thuan Bien hamlet in Binh Chau Commune, Binh Son District of Quang Ngai province, the local government instructed police and border guards to strictly protect the waters where fishermen have discovered the shipwreck with precious antiques dating back 500 years.

The Quang Ngai authorities organized an urgent meeting on the evening of September 10 to direct relevant agencies to zone and protect the area where fishermen discovered and salvaged antiques.

Quang Ngai’s Vice Chairman Le Quang Thich directed the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to ask the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s permission for urgently excavate the shipwreck and appraise the antiques.

Deputy Director of the Museum of Quang Ngai Le Thi Chung said that after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism allows the province to perform urgent excavation, within three days the museum would coordinate with the Vietnam Archaeological Institute and a company specializing in marine salvage to fish out antiques.

The authorities have seized about 35 artifacts including: bowls, cups, plates with finely carved patterns. Ms. Chung said that the whole of the ceramic artifacts are ceramic items of the Ming Dynasty in China in the 15th century.

In 1999, the Museum of Quang Ngai performed archaeological excavation in Chau Thuan Bien hamlet, around 1km from the shore. Hundreds of kilograms of antiques, mostly ceramics and stone artifacts on a wreck in the Ming dynasty (15th -17th centuries). Some artifacts are on display at the Vietnam History Museum with the theme "Culture of the sea and islands."

According to many fisherman in Chau Thuan Bien hamlet, artifacts are found only about 100 meters from shore, buried deep under the sea about 3 meters. From September 7, a ship owner is said to collect the highest number of artifacts – around 200 ceramic items.

"Around 30 other ships have also salvaged dozens of other artifacts. Some of them earn a billion dong from selling antiques", a fisherman disclosed.

Compiled by Thu Ha

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Quang Ngai to protect antiques from shipwreck
Sept. 20, 2012 / http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Life-Style/230375/quang-ngai-to-protect-antiques-from-shipwreck.html

QUANG NGAI – Local authorities in Quang Ngai have urged its Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to excavate a recently discovered shipwreck as soon as possible, as scavengers continue to salvage from the site.

The wreckage was found twelve days ago in the coastal area of Binh Son District's Chau Thuan Commune. It has been dated back to the 14th century, making it one of the oldest findings discovered in the country according to Nguyen Dinh Chien, the deputy director of the Viet Nam National Museum of History.

A number of decorative bowls, incense burners and ceramics were found in the sunken vessel. After examining the objects, local archaeologists concluded they were produced in 14th century.

About 13 organisations and four individuals have applied to the provincial department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to excavate.

Meanwhile, over the past few days dozens of boats have flocked to the area in an effort to illegally hunt antiques. Local reports claim that some people have successfully sold their salvaged items at tens of millions dong (thousands of US dollars) each.

To protect the antiques from being stolen, Binh Son District's People's Committee have warned local fishermen that anyone caught salvaging from the shipwreck will face heavy punishment.

Phan Dinh Tri, an official of the provincial people's committee, has said the committee plan to set up a managing board to oversee the excavation work and collect the remaining valuables, but this is still in its early stages.

Tri said local police and authorities are now trying their best to keep the area clear of illegal activity. – VNS

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Overseas auctions of Vietnam's antiques: good and bad
Sept. 27, 2012 / http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/art-entertainment/48952/overseas-auctions-of-vietnam-s-antiques--good-and-bad.html

VietNamNet Bridge – Antiques collected from wrecks in the sea of Vietnam have been auctioned overseas for several times. Along with profit, Vietnamese speNothingts also learned expensive experience.

Artifacts from shipwrecks: magnets to the world

Seabed Exploration Company has determined that at least 40 ancient wrecks in the sea of Vietnam are available for salvage and excavation.

This company is "anxious" when treasures of antiques, mainly oriental porcelain are being in the bottom of the ocean, while these antiques are very attractive at international auction houses.

In addition, through this huge volume of antiques, historical mysteries of trade are gradually revealed. The five ancient wrecks in the waters of Vietnam, containing hundreds of thousands of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese porcelain have contributed to re-draw the ceramic road journey in the East Sea, with Vietnam as one of the links.

For a long period, Vietnam was considered as a secondary link, an intermediate stage of this journey, and its ceramics were undervalued compared to Chinese ceramics. However, since the shipwreck in Cu Lao Cham was excavated (1997 - 1999), international experts have had a different view about Vietnam.

More than 240,000 ceramic artifacts dating back to the 15th – 16th centuries, of which, 150,000 deep-blue glazed ceramic items are defined to come from the Chu Dau ceramic village in the northern province of Hai Duong, have made experts stunned.

They make the doubt that China was not the only producer of deep-blue and white glazed ceramic items in the past more stable because Vietnam also has a history of producing and exporting deep-blue and white enameled ceramics. This event makes the value of artifacts found in wrecks in Vietnam to rise, both literally and figuratively.

The famous auction house Sotheby's organized an auction of ancient ceramic items from the ancient ship in Cu Lao Cham in the Netherlands. After that, Christie's hold an auction of ceramic artifacts from an ancient ship in Binh Thuan in Australia.

Though it has not been excavated yet, but after experts determined that pottery items (mainly Chinese origin) of the wreck in Binh Chau commune, Quang Ngai Province, are oldest among the antiques collected from shipwrecks in Vietnam, it is predicted that the wreck will attract attention of international experts. An overseas auction of antiques from this ship may be organized.

Overseas auctions: be careful

Based on the results of two previous auctions of antiques from the ancient ships in Binh Thuan and Cu Lao Cham, one can optimistically think about the upcoming auction abroad.

In particular, after the auction in Australia, the Vietnamese delegation cheerfully announced that all 16,000 items were sold out, earning around A$1.6 million.

The antiques of the wreck in Ca Mau also brought about approximately US$3.9 million from the auction in the Netherlands.

However, Mr. Doan Anh Tuan, Director of the UNESCO Center for Heritage Conservation and Study, said that deducting taxes, travel costs, accommodations, etc., Vietnam actually earned half of the reported figures. In theory, overseas auctions of Vietnam are successful but actually the result is opposite.

Tuan suggested organizing auctions at home in order to earn more profit for the state budget and at the same time advertise for Vietnam’s culture and tourism, which overseas auctions are unlikely to do.

M. Lan

PHOTO: Antiques collected from a sunken ship in Binh Chau commune, Quang Ngai province.