Vietnam Travel > Travel Special Features > Marvelous Carvings
Marvelous Carvings
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Of the four legged animals, the Unicorn was the most common. It came as narrow and well-defined as a deer, or as fat as a bull. The Unicorn at Tho Ha communal house had bird heads; those carved on bricks in Boi Khe Pagoda and on the statue bases in Ngo Pagoda had dragon heads; and those in Lo Hanh communal house had other animal heads. This symbol of the supernatural also entered village life, which was exemplified in the image of two Unicorns prancing on the sun at Lo Hanh communal house. Vividly depicted, they have firm bodies, straight forelegs, bent hind legs and perking tails.
Though less frequent than dragons and Unicorns, birds and Phoenixes were also popular icons. The Phoenix found a new style. In the Hundred Room and Boi Khe Pagodas, the Phoenix was simply feathered, had bent wings, and backward head, and was pictured alone rather than in pairs. The Phoenixes Lo Hanh communal house had 1,2m long wings, and were actually geese with spreading wings. A few neck feathers and whirled clouds turned them into Phoenixes.
The goose-shaped Phoenix was more or less discreet. More amusing were the Phoenixes carved in the Teacher Pagoda, which were more like storks with stylized tails and whirling clouds. And simpler still were the Phoenixes carved on the bricks of the Hundred Room pagoda, which looked like walking cocks with sparsely feathered tails.
As for birds, you some times find couples of storks facing each other and flying birds carved or embossed on bricks, or even such fantastic images as magpie robins in Lo Hanh communal house or birds pecking at the Unicorn's mouth.
Within the vast scope of Vietnamese antiquity, the Mac dynasty produced an important change in the development of art, as old images were remodeled in a more variable and creative fashion.
Do Hong Hanh
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