The seals of the Nguyễn dynasty can refer to a collection of seals (印篆, Ấn triện or 印章, Ấn chương) specifically made for the emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty (Hán tự: 寶璽朝阮 / 寶璽茹阮), who reigned over Vietnam between the years 1802 and 1945 (under French protection since 1883, as Annam and Tonkin), or to seals produced during this period in Vietnamese history in general (the latter are generally referred to in Vietnamese as 印信, ấn tín).In its 143 years of existence, the government of the Nguyễn dynasty had created more than 100 imperial seals. These imperial seals were made of jade, bronze, silver, gold, ivory, and meteorite.
Imperial seals typically have inscriptions written in the ancient seal script, but by the later part of the Nguyễn dynasty period both Chữ Hán and Latin script were used for some scripts.
According to Dr. Phan Thanh Hải, Director of the Huế Monuments Conservation Centre, at the end of the Nguyễn dynasty period the Purple Forbidden City contained a total of 93 jade and gold seals of which 2 seals were from the Nguyễn lords period made under Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu (1691–1725) in 1709, 12 during the reign of Emperor Gia Long (1802–1820), 15 during the reign of Emperor Minh Mạng (1820–1841), 10 during the reign of Emperor Thiệu Trị (1841–1847), 15 during the reign of Emperor Tự Đức (1847–1883), 1 during the reign of Emperor Kiến Phúc (1883–1884), 1 during the reign of Emperor Hàm Nghi (1884–1885), 5 during the reign of Emperor Đồng Khánh (1885–1889), 10 during the reign of Emperor Thành Thái (1889–1907), 12 during the reign of Emperor Khải Định (1916–1925), and 8 during the reign of Emperor Bảo Đại (1925–1945). Hải stated that as of 2016 that there were no more imperial seals left in the Nguyễn dynasty capital city of Huế with most being handed over to the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam by Bảo Đại following his abdication in 1945 mostly now being in the hands of the Vietnam National Museum of History in Hanoi.Dr. Phan Thanh Hải further stated that no imperial seals were produced during the reigns of Emperors Dục Đức (1883), Hiệp Hòa (1883), and Duy Tân (1907–1916).
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