The ceramic dragon seal made by Bát Tràng's artisans. — VNS Photos Ly Ly Cao

Every new year, artisans in the traditional ceramic village research and create a new product, a symbolic figure for that particular year to promote the village's exquisite handmade crafts, serving as both a gift and a display item for customers.

For the year of Dragon, from vases to tea sets, every product is designed with dragon images.

This year, artisans have created a very special dragon seal that is inspired by the Nguyễn Dynasty’s golden imperial seals.

"This year is the Year of the Dragon, which is also a special year. We have developed a product called Sacred Dragon Imprint. Artisans have put a lot of effort into crafting this special artwork," Nguyễn Văn Lực, Vietnam Consumer Ceramic Association, told Việt Nam News.

A pottery dragon seal being assembled.

The design is inspired by the lost imperial seal of the Nguyễn Dynasty, which was recently returned to Vietnam and is currently exhibited in a private museum in Bắc Ninh Province.

It is also created based on one of the most beautiful images of a Vietnamese Dragon, the dragon image from the Lê Dynasty.

That is what makes Phạm Việt Khoa, an artisan with more than 40 years' work experience in the ceramic industry, find it so fascinating to make this year's product.

"The dragon also has all the beauty of the dragon from the Lê Dynasty, making it purely a Vietnamese dragon," Khoa said.

"Creating this dragon sculpture this year has been truly inspiring, as it represents a Vietnamese dragon."

Artisan Phạm Việt Khoa assemblies the dragon seal.

The seal has three words: peace, harmony and prosperity, on it, which are the messages artisans would like to deliver to customers, hoping they have significant imprints in the year 2024.

Forming, assembling and painting this product requires a lot of effort. However, the most challenging part remains the creation of the prototype.

"We need to brainstorm to have an idea and design a prototype that is not only beautiful but also resonates with people. Once the prototype is completed, we move on to mould casting and undergo five more stages before ultimately producing the final product," Khoa added.

The dragon seal is painted by a skilful artisan.

The special artworks are crafted in very limited quantities, so those who own them are very fortunate, said Lực.

"We primarily accept orders from our regular customers and those who appreciate handmade artistic products tailored to the specific theme of the year. As a result, the supply of dragon seals on the market is limited."

This year's economic situation has affected the industry's sales, but the introduction of the year's themed product is still welcomed by customers.

"Considering the economic and social circumstances this year, there has been a decrease in the production of crafted artworks compared to the previous year. This can be attributed to the fact that our artworks cater to the high-end segment, which has been facing economic difficulties," said Lực.

"However, there have been recent positive indicators of economic recovery in the past couple of months. And the artworks we create have been receiving positive responses from customers."

With the beautiful image and meaningful messages, people may all hope for a nice and prosperous year ahead. — VNS