GOLD BOOK TREASURES OF VIETNAM’S NGUYEN DYNASTY (1802-1945) – TAASA Review March 2019
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This article was originally found in the March 2019 edition of TAASA Review (Volume 28, Issue 1, Page 7).
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Kerry Nguyen-Long T he term kim sach (gold book) is comprised of a Han word, kim, and a Nom word, sach.
In Vietnamese usage the term is generic and references a genre of formal dynastic literature primarily expressed on metals ranging from gold to silver gilt, silver and copper, but also on silk, and sometimes, although rarely, on a type of parchment. Gold book issued under King Gia Long, 2.1kg, 1806.
Photo: Vietnam National Museum of History (VNMH), Hanoi The term kim sach is not particular to the Nguyen Dynasty although the overwhelming majority of surviving books belong to this dynasty with a tally of 94 (50 gold, 43 silver gilt and one silver) currently in the keeping of the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi...