English-Vietnamese book entitled Dệt Nên Triều Đại (Weaving A Realm) is made by a team of overseas Vietnamese at Vietnam Centre based in Sydney, Australia. Photo courtesy of comicola.com

HÀ NỘI — The first bilingual book about Vietnamese costumes in the 15th century has been released. 

The book, entitled Dệt Nên Triều Đại (Weaving A Realm), aims to reconstruct the rituals and fashion of Vietnamese in the early Lê Dynasty from 1437 to 1471. 

The book is compiled by a team of Vietnamese expatriates all over the world led by Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Đông. 

The book has 224 colourful pages in two parts. 

The 15th-century fashion is recreated based on reputable resources such as Ngàn Năm Áo Mũ (Thousands of Years of History of Việt Nam’s Traditional Costumes) by the scholar Trần Quang Đức; artefacts; statues and paintings in temples, pagodas and museums. 

The rituals are recreated based on the records of scholar and historian Phan Huy Chú (1782-1840). 

"The ancient clothing of Vietnamese is descriptively reproduced through both language and images," said Đông. 

"It is a gift to those who love to explore a part of their national culture and history."

Recognising the care and the need to learn about ancestor’s clothing culture from the community, Vietnam Centre raised funds in 2018 to make the book. 

Vietnam Centre is a non-profit organisation based in Sydney, Australia. It works to promote Vietnamese culture to the world hoping to introduce Vietnamese heritage and the splendour of its 4,000-year-old of civilisation to international friends.

The book is sold to raise funds. The price will be initially discounted to VNĐ200,000 (roughly US$9) compared to the official price of VNĐ250,000.

A collection of a hard cover, signed book; e-book; and one paper doll book including two models and ten sets of historical clothing will cost VNĐ500,000.

The same collection and a full set of early Lê Dynasty clothing of noble women shrunken to one sixth the size for action figures or dolls will cost VNĐ2 million. 

Buyer can pay VNĐ6 million to own a collection and one set of historical clothing created by a skilled artisan based on the buyer's body shape and size, made out of traditional Vietnamese silk.

Buyers can call 01688.888.262 for further information. — VNS