The Vietnamese weapons of the 17th century from the collection of the national museum of Netherlands. Part 2

Current article is the second part of a research, dedicated to the collection of Oriental weapons of admiral Cornelis Tromp (1629-1691), which is now on display in the National Museum of Netherlands - Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam). Dutch museum-specialists approve that the wooden rack with the items of japanese-style cold weapons, firearms and weapon accessories, displayed on it, do originate from Tonkin (Northern Vietnam, in XVII century – the princedom of Đàng Ngoài). The author aims to check this approval and describes the constructive and decorative features of weapons, displayed on the rack. The weapons are typologically cathegorised as pole-arms, pole-bladed arms, bladed arms, throwing weapons and firearms. The author makes an attempt to confirm the existence of such weapons in Vietnam during the mentioned period. Several written and depictive sources are being considered in the article with that aim.

Concluding the research, the author makes following statements. The weapon-rack from the collection of Rijksmuseum is a precious material source on history of traditional weapons of South-East Asia. The weapons and weapon accessories, displayed on it, were highly likely manufactured in Tonkin (princedome of Đàng Ngoài) in first half- mid XVII century. The spears, sabers (swords), battle scythes/glaives and harquebuses do bear the traces of dominating influense of Japanese tradition. On the other hand, those items have some serious constructive differences (the way of fixing the blade/spearhead in a handle/pole and the shape of the harquebuse's butt).

The decorative elements of sabers are also interesting. They have engravings with the ornamental motifs, which are widespread in Vietnamese XVII century pictorial and decorative arts. An exemplar of a battle scythe, very similar to those ones from Rijksmuseum was discovered by the author on a photo made during the crownification celebrations in Huế in 1926.

The throwing weapons (two short bows) have the autochtonous construction confirmed by the depictive sources as well as the analogues in the museum-collections in Vietnam and abroad. The harquebuses come with the special overlay-covers which are not typical for the Japanese analogues.

The facts and statements, achieved during the research have a certain value for Vietnamese studies - especially for the history of Vietnamese traditional weapons, military tradition and material culture of Vietnam.