THE FOUR SEASONS SYMBOL IN THE DECORATIVE ARTS OF THE NGUYEN DYNASTY, VIETNAM

1

THE FOUR SEASONS SYMBOL IN THE DECORATIVE ARTS OF THE NGUYEN DYNASTY, VIETNAM

3

2

ABSTRACT

The symbol of the four seasons in the art of the Nguyen Dynasty was shown on several different materials and played a huge role in the decorative arts, thereby transformingpatternsinthemostappropriatewayandmanyothersymbolicmeanings.bearingtheimprintofcontemporaryart.Thereliesalargeamountofaesthetic aspectsoflife,evensometimesithastheevocations,predictionofaspirationsintherelationshipbetweenpeopleandrealityandsociety

KEYWORDS:Art,NguyenDynasty,Decorative,Symbol,FourSeasons.

1. THE FOUR SEASONS SYMBOL IN THE ART OF THE NGUYEN DYNASTY:

ManystudieshaveconfirmedthatthefineartoftheNguyenDynastyhasitsown style with many unique artistic values, in which decorative art has developed strongly,hadamassivescale,andisdiverseinmaterials,themes,symbolicmeaningsetc.,inwhichthefourseasonsymbolshavemanyvividstyles,differentsymbolicmeaningswithuniquesymbolsofthevisualartsoftheNguyenDynastyas oneofthetypicalartisticvalues.

Intheworkof L'ArtàHué(MỹthuậtởHuế)(Cadière,1919),PriestL.Cadiere explained and evaluated the decorative arts of Hue, the spiritual expression in royal decoration in general and mentioned many four seasons images through materials. Whereby, the materials such as: red lacquer with gilding, fresco, reliefs,stonecarving,woodcarving,mosaic,ect.whentheyareanalyzed,commented and compared with some characteristics, in addition to the four season image,therearegroupsof"fourfriends"or"fourseasons"consistingoftheapricottree(spring),thelotus(summer),thechrysanthemum(autumn)andthepine tree(winter).

Ingeneral,thefourseasons,adecorativestyle,isveryrichanddiverseonarchitecturalworksoftheNguyendynasty Thisstyleissymbolicandhighlygeneralized of Eastern philosophical thinking, at the same time, it also expresses the ideas,humanoutlookonlifeinthisperiodthroughsomesymbols:

Firstofall,theyareflowerswhichhavethemeaningofthecrystallizationofthe beautyofplantsandareattractivetopeople,therefore,theflowertopichasbeen paidmuchattentionandshowninthedecorativearts.

+Apricot-theflowerrepresentingthespring,isonthetopofthehundredflowers that are "courteous with the essence" that the ancients never ceased to praise. Apricotisconsideredoneofthe"threefriendsinthemiserableyears"including pinetree,bamboo,andapricotsymbolizingthenoblemankindness,alwayskeepingthesenseofpurposeanduprightnessofgentlemen,accordingtotheconcept oftheancients.Becauseonawinterday,whileothertreeslosetheirleaves,the apricotstillblooms,especially,theapricotflowerbloomsbeforeallotherflowers doattheendofDecemberandthebeginningofJanuaryofthelunarcalendar,so theancientscalledthelistofthenamesofthetopwinnersintheHoiexam(inthe spring)theApricotboard.

+Orchid-aflowerassociatedwithpurityandlongevity

+Lotus-theflowerrepresentingthesummer,isasymbolofpurity,bornin the mud and then rises to give off its fragrance. Lotus are often combined with other symbols such as: Lotus combined with duck (inter - pressure), symbolofattachmentandharmony;Lotuscombineswiththecarpandthe HillMyna,allmeanluck,fortune,etc.

+ Chrysanthemum – representing the autumn, is the symbol of the master whokeepshismoralintegritydespitethecircumstances.

+Peachblossom-apowerfulflower,expellingevilspirits,sothepeachblossomisoftenusedduringTet,symbolizingthespring.

+Peony-a"wealthandhigh-placedflower",isthelordofflowers.Thisisa

flowersymbolizinganoblewoman,wealth,joy,andhappiness.

+Bamboo-representingthewinter,hasuprightbranches.Thewinteriscold whileleavesofothertreesaredry,thoseofthebambooarestillfresh,bamboo node is called "tie" so the ancients used the bamboo to represent the senseofpurposeanduprightnessofgentleman.

+Pinetree-likebamboo,thekindoftreeisstillgreeninthewinter,livesin dry,sunny,androckyplaces.Thepinetreerepresentsthefigureandappearanceofagentlemanwhoisalwayscalmeventhoughthelifeisswirlingor difficult,associateswiththesoldier'sdesiretoliveandbeahumanbeingina strongandcourageousway

Thus,theancientsusedfourspeciesoftreesrepresentingthefourseasonswith deepphilosophicalmeanings,especiallyindecorativearts.However,folkartists do not often show herbs alone, they are always paired with an animal to create vividimages.Fourseasonsoftenhasthemessuchas:Apricot-bird(Birdperches onapricotbranch);Lotus-duck(duckswimsbythelotus);Chrysanthemum-Butterfly(butterflywithchrysanthemum);Pinetree-craneorPinetree-deer(acrane oradeerstandingunderapinetree),ect.Itcanbesaidthatthefourseasonsisa verycommontopicinthetraditionaldecorativearts,especiallyinthefineartsof theNguyendynasty,ismainlyexpressedinagentlerealisticstylewithanexpressivestylecreatingimagesimbuedwiththenationalidenties. Inaddition,fruits arealsoincludedinthedecoration,addingvibrancytothefourseasondecorative arts,suchas:Pear-representingfriendship;Peach-representinglongevity;Finger citron - representing abundance and crowding; Grape- representing happinessandwealth;Gourd-representingthecrowd,affluence…

Thefourseasonsimage,oneofthestructuralelementsformingthevalueofart works reflects on nature is often drawn, carved, engraved on architecture objects/buildingcomponentswithdecorativepatternsofvarietyofmaterialsand techniques.IntheNguyendynasty,themostusedmaterialsinthefourseasons decorativeartswerewood,redlacquerwithgilding.Inaddition,thereareother materialsthatarequitepopular,suchas:mosaic,fourseasonspatternsdecorated following eachpoemsrepresentedbyapaintingonthefourseasonsthemesor eight precious weapons themes , alternating layouts and pages.The decoration stretches on the ridge capping and mopboard of Bieu Duc Temple - Thieu Tri Tomb, or Tu Duc Tomb. The fresco, relief materials were decorated on Hien NhongateintheeastoftheImperialCitadel,andChuongDucgateinthewestof the Imperial Citadel. Decorative patterns/ vignette along with flowers, leaves, fourseasons,foursupernaturalcreaturesandeightweaponshavebeenshownto expressthenatureofthingswithclosed,definitive,stronglinesandadheretothe conventionalprinciplesofplasticart.Itcanbesaidthatthefourseasondecorationisarichlayoutthatcombinesmanylayersoflarge-small,simple-complex textureswithdifferentcontentsandpositionstocreateitsownbeautyingeneral. Patternssuchasflowers,leaves,fruits,animals,etc.inthefourseasonsrepresent a decorative art style with specific, definitive lines and unique shapes that are alsoeasilyrecognizedinmanyarchitecturesworksoftheNguyendynasty

Decorativemotifsandpopularandcommontopicsinthearchitecturaldecorative art,especiallyintermsofthemeaningandsymbolofanarrayorawholeareregularlyseensuchas:apricot-crane,thisisthesymbolforthemasterswhotakeleisure and seclusion as pleasure, away from fame (taking apricots and cranes as companions)… in addition, it is also meaningful, but the artisans combine the pinetreewiththecrane,apricotblossomwithbird,lotuswithduck.Accordingto

NguyenVuLan,M.A ,LeMinhQuang,M.A. ,Assoc.Prof.NguyenThiLanHuong,PhD .

TheUniversityofArts,HueUniversity,N10,ToNgocVanstreet,HueCity,Vietnam

DongThapUniversity,N783,PhamHuuLau,CaoLanhCity,DongThapProvince,Vietnam.

TheCPVCCCommissionforPropagationandEducation,2BHoangVanThuStreet,BaDinhDistrict,HanoiCity,Vietnam.

the concept of eastern people, the four seasons are symbols of the sufficiency, solidity,eternity,happiness,andareconsistentwiththefourdirections,thefour highest-rankingcourtofficialsinimperialVietnam,thefourvirtues,ect.Itcanbe saidthattheartisticvaluesofthefourtimessymbolsaretheplasticartvaluesassociated with the aesthetic of the royal art in harmony with general principles of architectural decoration of the Nguyen dynasty, containing several symbols whicharetypicaland richinprofoundaesthetic-humanitymeaningaswellas the philosophy of education, quality, lifestyle, cultural behavior ect. still maintaintheirvaluetothisday

2. SOME TYPICAL FOUR-SEASON STYLES IN THE DECORATIVE ARTSOFTHENGUYENDYNASTY:

Decorativestyleincludesexistingformsofadecorativeandshapingimagethat hasbeenstabilized,meetsaesthetic"standard"andcarriesacertainmeaningand isrecognizablebytheconventionofdecorativeshaping,inordertorepresenta certain image or meaning in human's spiritual-aesthetic activities. Therefore, there are oriental decorative styles that have remained unchanged for several thousandyears,suchasthetwodragonsadoringthemoon,theleavesturninginto dragons,thephoenixholdingthecollectionofpoemsinhismouth,Apricot-bird, Lotus - duck, Chrysanthemum- Butterfly, Pine tree- crane, three close friends...They are represented by images that reflect spiritual thinking as symbolsthathavebeendeeplyimprintedinthemindandcreativeimaginationofpeople.Oneofthecharacteristicsofthatsymbolisthatitisnotseparatedintoarrays, butoftendiffusesandpenetrateseachother,formingasymbolicsysteminwhich therearerelationshipsandassociationsfromthemultidimensionalityexpression indecorativearts.

The style of trees and leaves transforming into dragons:

Mentioning about transformation in general, people call flowers and leaves transformintodragons,butinthetopicofthefourseasons,thereisamorespecificwayofcallingitbysomeauthors,whichisflowersandleavesturninginto dragons.Theimage of trees and leaves turning into dragons in the four-season theme is formed quite diversely, but mainly from four types of trees: apricot, peach,pine,andbambootree.Thetreeleavesandbranchesaretransformedinto the image of a dragon presented in several decorations from all over the world with the shape changes in accordance with aesthetic ideals and the meaning of royal expression. Each tree, branch, and leaf must be transformed in order to deeplyexpressthemajesticbeautyandmagicalmeaningtypicalofthesymbol. Whenshapingtrees,flowers,leaves,andbranches,theartistspayattentiontothe shapeofeachtree,andstylizeordescribeexactlyeachbranch,eachleafingeneralbuthasthesinuousappearanceofdragonsandoftentheroughstumpsisa stylizeddragonheadnotonlytoidentifyandassociatethedragonimage,butalso emphasize the "transformation" with names such as bamboo tree transforming into dragon, pine tree transforming into dragon, apricot tree transforming into dragon,etc.Typically,atthegateofTheToMieuandThaiToMieu,thepinetree transforms into a dragon with all the details, partly showing the majesty of a transforming dragon. But artisans are more creative in using seashells to make pineleaves,theyarenotonlysuitableforplasticandaestheticsbutalsocreatinga newfeelingfortheimage.

Thestyleoftreesandleavestransformingintophoenix: Thestyleofthetreeleavesandflowerstransformingintophoenixisoneofthe valuableexpressionvaluesofdecorativeartofthefourseasonswiththestyleof the phoenix playing with the clouds, the phoenix transforming itself in the clouds,thephoenixthephoenixholdingthecollectionofpoemsinhismouthect. intheartoftheNguyenDynasty Fromthepracticalneedsofcreativity,thefourseason decoration as well as other decorative shaping topics always arise new requirementsformaterialtechniquesinassociationwithtraditionalexperiences, decorativemethodstocreateimpressionandvisualeffects.Thephoenixisconsidered: "...a clean, pure bird... worthy of "comparable" with the dragon in the foursupernaturalcreatures”(Dinh,2014: 62).Therefore,inthecommonspace, thedecorationofthephoenixisquitedenseontheroofsandframeornamentsof the works such as DienTho Palace,Truong Sanh Palace, LeThienAnhTomb, ThanhCungTomb,TuDuTomb...Whenthefour-seasondecorationcombines with phoenix decorative images on architecture, artisans have to imagine the effects and aesthetic requirements, express the space of the architecture and place the four-season decoration in their appropriate positions and meanings. Whencarryingoutanarchitecturalwork,artisansmustclearlyknowthefunction ofthearchitecturetodecorateandsetoutthemainandsecondarythemesinthe four-seasonthemetoadapt,theymustchoosetheappropriatestyles.Theirunderstanding,attachment,aswellastheirbehaviortowardstheplantworldareexperiencedthroughaverylongprocess.Peoplenotonlylookatplantsthroughtheir ability to meet material needs but also sympathize, share, discover, personify, andspiritualizeintosomethingsacredthatcannotbeexplained.Thereby,plants arestylizedintoimageswithdifferentpersonalities,convergingintoarichspiritualworldinVietnameseculturallife.

Thestyleofthelotustransformingintoaturtle: Inmanypanels,frameornamentationinthefour-seasondecoration,thestyleof the lotus transforming into a turtle plays a quite common part in the Nguyen dynastydecorationingeneralandinthethemeofthefourseasonsinparticular Turtle is the only mascot of the four sacred creatures that is a real animal, but thankstoitsspecialproperties,itbecomesamascot.Themostvividtypeistheturtle-lotustypedeterminant,alsoknownasthestyleofthelotustransformingintoa

turtle.Thedroopinglotusleavesformsaturtleshell,theheadoftheturtlefrom theinsidecomingoutiscoveredwithmortarandcoloredmosaicframe,making the image reach an interesting connection that is accurate, precise and full of expression. Compared with other materials, fresco, and wood carvings, the image of mosaic has a "vibration" and clearer movement, especially with the characteristicsofporcelainmaterial,theturtleimagesarefullofenergy,andcontaintheirinnerstrengths.Themotifoflotustransformingintoaturtleitselfbrings aharmoniousmeaningbetweenfolkandroyalaesthetics,andthroughthemosaic material, the folk characteristics are even more evident. However, this type of decorationisnotcommon,theyonlyexistinafewstages,areasandinsomespecialdecorativepositions.Forexample,onthefour-seasonframeornamentsof theTrieuToMieusanctuarysidegate, theimagesoflotustransformingintoaturtleholdingspongesinitsmoutharemadewithhighblocksculpturalquality,but theyarestillconstitutiveelementsofarchitecturaldecoration.Sometimesinthe fourseasondecoration,thelotusflowerandleafaresometimesasymbolofthe universe,theimageofthelotustransformingintoaturtleinthefourseasonsand thevariationsbeingsacred,makingtheimageinthedecorationbericherinthe style.

Thestyleofapricotandpeachblossom-bird: The style of apricot and peach blossom - bird reflects the Eastern concept that apricottreeandbirdaresymbolsofspringwithjoy,fullness,eternalyouthand happiness...Thestyleofapricotandpeachblossom-birdoccupiesafairlypopularpositioninthedecorationofthefourseasonswithfamiliarpatternscontaining nobleandelegantspiritualvaluesandfullofphilosophyandspiritualityaccordingtothetraditionofConfucianphilosophyliketheApricotblossom-bird.Like othermaterialsinarchitecturaldecoration,thefour-seasonstylesareattributed totheframeornamentationlayoutsinthecổdiêmborder,roofcurb,cylindrical door corners, and gable roof, but the most prominent ones are: large vertical frame ornamentation at the three gates, different main and second gates in the NguyenDynasty'sroyalarchitecturesandcoordinatewiththeframeornamentationwith"transformation"symbols.Onthemosaicfour-seasonsetatHienNhan gate,thestyleof“apricotandpeachblossom-bird”iswellcombinedwithapricot andpeachtreeandfruitssuchaspeach,pomegranate,Buddha'shandfruitect.to create a vivid combination for decoration image, it shows the wish of ancients aboutapeaceful,elegantandcosylife.Itisclearlysuitablewithroyalaesthetic whichmakesexpressionmeaningmoreplentiful.

Artisan have the ability to transform the original shapes, branches, leaves, sprouts,flowers,fruitsintheirownwaysothatitcancreateassociationsandvisualizations from the viewer's side about a certain animal.Therefore, in terms of these patterns, people often call them the bamboo tree transforming into a dragon,thelotustreetransformingintoaturtle,theapricottreetransforminginto a phoenix, the pine tree transforming into an unicorn, the orchird transforming intoapheasantect. Ineachofthosepatternswithprofoundspirituality,asAssoc. Prof. Chu Quang Tru wrote in Hue Fine Arts Culture: "The country's nature whichchangesinfourseasonsiscarefullyobservedbyartisans,theyhavethoroughknowledge,andselecttypicalornamentalplantsandanimalstoreproduce onwood,stoneandpreciousmaterials”(Chu,2000:40).

Thestyleoflotus-duck:

Thestyleoflotus-duckoftenappearsinthelargeframeornamentsofthegates andismadeof mosaicreliefs,insomeplacesthereisalsoanadditionofmural paintings.Thelotusrepresentsthepurity,becausethelotusshapedlampsupport hasmanyseedsanditisborninthemudandthenemergestogiveoutfragrance. Theduck,oftenapairofducks,symbolizespeaceandrelaxation.Inaddition,in thesenseofEasternphilosophy,therisinglotusisyang,theduckisyinandalso representswealth,happiness,andpeace.Thebotanicalworldinthevisualartsis always absolutely delicate and highly selective, so all the four-season patterns canonlyappearfromacertainpartsuchasshapes,leaves,flowers,roots,fruits, orrootsandtheimageoflotus-duckisnotanexceptiontothatrule.

ThestyleofChrysanthemum-butterfly:

The style of chrysanthemum-butterfly represents the strength and beauty of nature, happiness of people, chrysanthemum represents the deep and discreet beautyofawoman.Withthenaturalfeaturethatiswhentheplantdriesup,thepetalsfall,itstillkeepsthebrightyellowcolorbecauseofwateraccumulation,so chrysanthemumisalsoasymbolofloyalty Whencombinedwiththebutterflyin the chrysanthemum pattern, it creates new figurative metaphorical properties becausethebutterflyinthechrysanthemum-butterflystyle representsbeautiful and vivid life, several good changes. On the other hand, each chrysanthemumbutterflystylecancreateuniquefeatures,sometimeswithoutrepetition,withthe ups and downs of light, creating unexpected and impressive artistic effects for thewholefour-seasondecorationcluster Themosaicinthechrysanthemum-butterflystyledirectlyonthemassstructuresofthegates,screens,roofs,ventilation doors... has created vivid and solemn beauty for architectural works with the intermingling between mosaics of porcelain, shapes and textures of painting, mortarandreliefs.Infact,itisimpossibletoseparatethedecorativeelementsof chrysanthemumstylefromothercontemporarythemesinarchitecture.Thearray ofchrysanthemum-birdstyleontheupperfloorofChuongDuc,HienNhan,The Mieugate...seemtohavethemotivationtogatherintheimagesofchrysanthemum-bird hidden in the clouds, the motifs of collection of poems, flowers and leavestransformationinarchesandthefour-seasondecorativecomplexes.The emphasis on chrysanthemum- bird style in each architectural components

alwaysconverges,turnsintofromtheguidanceofvisualelements,hiddenunder decorative patterns with specific artistic attributes. The image of chrysanthemum-birdstyleatDuyetThiDuong“cổdiêm”isavividandclearexampleofthe decorationroleincreatinganaestheticvolumeinarchitecture,sothedecorative clustersofchrysanthemum-birdhavebecomeanemphasizingblocks,andcontributetothecontrolofthespiritualandmemorialspaceofthework.

ThePinetree-deerstyle: The Pine tree- deer style is an expression of strength, symbolizing endurance, immortalityandthesenseofpurposesanduprightnessofagentleman.Inthedecorativesystemofthefourseasons,theseuniqueexpressivefeatureshavecontributed to the distinctive impressions and styles of expression of the Nguyen Dynasty'sfinearts,sometimesdifferentpinetree-deerstylearisefrombeingstylizedandcrystallizedsomeoftheirpatterns.Theharmonyinthepinetree-deer styleisidentifiedonthedirectlyplasticelementsonthearchitecturalblock.

AtThaiBinhLau,orBieuDucPalace,ThieuTrimausoleum,theefficiencyof the pine tree- bird patterns shown in many views and decorative sections has made the aesthetic sense at this location surprisingly vividly changed with the image of a curving and embossing pine tree with expressive and a selectively positioneddeercreatingadeepemphasisonthehumanphilosophyoflife,richin Easternhumanesentimentsinit.Whatissuccessfulwiththepinetree-deerpatternisthattheyalwayscreateapositiveimpressionofthedirectionofmovement inharmonywiththeoverallarchitecturalform.

Thevalueofthepinetree-birdpatternitselfdoesnotseparatefromtheexpressionvalueineachspecificarchitectureworksinthetimeandspaceexpression fullofmeaningoftheirliteraryphilosophyofhumansurvivalandaesthetic.In thecombinationsofthepinetree-birdpatternsintheNguyendynasty'sroyalart, thereisalsoageometrystylizationinterweavingwithdecorativepatterns.From there,itchangestheoverallstructureofthepinetree-birdpatternsuchasinVoi Re Palace, Tam Quan and Truong Sanh Palace screen, the ancient building of HonChenPalace.

Duetothestrictregulationsofthepinetree-bird,itisalwaysnecessarytoconsider and behave in accordance with the principles, contents and expression formsofthearchitectureofmausoleums,temples,castlesandpalacestoformdifferentjudgments,technicalandartistictreatments.Thisshowsthatrightfromthe selectionofdecorativeshapingmaterials,itisnecessarytopayattentiontothe requirementsofdecorativecoordinationthattheymustadapt.

TheWillow-horsestyle: The willow- horse style with willow branches is associated with the image of GuanYinholdingagourdinonehandandwavingawillowbranchintheother handgivesthepeoplethewaterofeternallifeandpeace.ThewillowinEastern spirituallegendsissupple,soft,andrepresentsfemininity Thewillowisonlysuitableforautumnandhasanevilbanishmentcharacteristic.Thehorseisananimal thatrepresents agility, strength and is an animalassociatedwith the imageof a gentlemanandmagnanimity.Whencombiningwillowandhorsetocreateawillow-horsepattern,itisimpliedtopraisethewillandstrengthoftheownerwho knowshowtoovercomeallobstaclesanddisasters,repelthemiasmatorise.

Throughthewillow-horsestyleintheNguyenDynastyroyalfinearts,itshows thattheymadeanimportantcontributiontotheexpressionofartisticconceptand aesthetictastesofthedynasty Atthefalsepillarsofthethree-arched-entrances gateofTruongSanhPalace,thedecorationofwillow-horsethemesontheframe ornaments make the changes of emotions of the block with harmony and elegancebutmustcomplywiththeregulationsofarchitecturalstructure.Different fromthedecorationplasticclusterofwillow-horseinThaiBinhLau,decorated attheChuongDucgateforwomeninthepalacetogoinandoutattheCitadel, therearenewplasticfeaturesandexpressions.Here,thetones,colorsandlinesof thewillow-horsestyledecorationarepresentedtoanotherspacethatismoresymbolicthanaspecificexpression,withtheimagesofwillow-horsepatternswhich is rich in themes, styles but is also very close and elegant through dense frame ornamentationdecoration Inthatspace,willow-horse-styledecorationplaysa decisiveroleintheworkoflocatingthequality,functionandlocationofthework intheNguyenDynastyarchitecturalpopulations.

TheBamboo-mousestyle: Notably,firstofall,thedecorativeimagesarerareandseemtobefoundonlyin thedecorationofVanVanandThanhCungmausoleum,whichistheimageofthe Bamboo–mousestyle.Thebambootreewithstraighttubes,whiteflesh,green throughouttheyeardespitestormsandwindsbecomesasymbolofimmortality, uprightnessandpurityofthegentleman.Bambooisalsothetreeofearthlylife, representing wisdom and endurance with life. In Chinese culture, the mouse is also a symbol of honesty, altruism, progress, and generosity The image of a mousecrawlingthroughabamboocylinderonastone-carvedframeornaments at Van Van mausoleum is an independent decoration like an ancient Chinese painting.TheimageofmicecrawlingthroughbamboocylinderintheEasterncultureisalsoawishforgoodharvestandwealth.

WhentheharvestseasonandNewYearcomes,hearingthesoundofamouseisa goodfortuneandcomfortableness.Themousethatgetsintothebamboocylinder isasymbolofrichness,warmth,andthenoble,bright,andchivalrousspiritofa

gentleman.Ontheotherhand,theimageofthemouseisnotonlyrelatedtothe fairytaleabouttheflood,itforetellspeopleandsavesthemselves,butitisalso associatedwithhumanlifeinthewetricecivilizationinanormalandcloseway Inadditiontothebamboo-mouse–patternstone-carvingsdecorativeimageson thegraveofVanVanmausoleum,wealsocomeacrossveryuniqueimagesand themesinsomeothermaterialssuchasfresco,reliefs,andwecreateimagesthat have strange "openness", full of poetry of the engraving decoration art of the Nguyen dynasty The four-season theme have several vivid styles, different names and symbolic meanings, among which are symbols full of Confucian humanityquality,andthebamboo-mousepatternisoneofthevividexamples.

Thebananatree-elephantstyle:

Thevariationsofthe bananatree–elephantstyleindecorationhasalwaysbeen oneoftherathersensitiveattributesofdecorativeartoftheNguyenDynastywith themulti-materialandeffectivecombinationofdifferentplasticdecorativemethods.The bananatree–elephantstylehasbecomeoneoftheuniqueandrarevaluesofdecorativeartoftheNguyenDynasty,becauseitdoesnotexpandonthe symbolic representations in decoration even though it has made the decorated spatialstructuresmorevivid.AtTienCungTomb(VanVan),thereappeartwoelephants beside a banana bush carved with stones on the corner of the grave, reminding us of the imprint of Indian culture in Vietnamese culture, elephant imagesinChampasculptureandisprobablyveryclosetotheelephant-banana imageinBuddhistpaintings.Thevividnessandaccurateadimpressiveexpression of the elephant - banana pattern have made the image of the mausoleum here,althoughmurkyandmysterious,stillclose,warmandfullofnaturalvitality

Thepeony-goldenroosterstyle:

Thepeony-goldenroosterpatternisembossedwithmosaicsorstone-carvedin the four season frame ornaments in the style of multi-layer reliefs, expressing boththeinsideandtheoutsideofthegate.Thepeonyisasymbolofwealth,happiness, and a noble woman.The rooster with the symbol for the five virtues is explainedingreatdetailintheOrientaldecorativeimage:Benevolence-Righteousness – Proprirty – Wisdom- Trustworthiness. The peony- golden rooster stylealsohasaprofoundmeaningofthe"couple"withthesuitableallianceanda happyandfulfillinglife.ThisisclearlyseenonthesideentranceofTheToTemplewiththeimageandpatternofpeony-goldenroosteridentifiedfromthemain entranceof BuuThanhwiththemainimageofaroosterandaseriesofdecorativeframeornamentsfollowingthethemeofflowers,leaves,eightweaponsand other four-season images.The images of the peony- golden rooster pattern are arrangedquitevividly,withabitofsoaringbythechangeofdirectionoftheauxiliary floral motifs. It is the sub-pictures depicting the small earthen mound or crouchoforchidsthathavecreatedaemotionalpoeticinspirationbutequallydelicate in the art of creating the peony- golden rooster pattern of the Nguyen Dynasty

Thepeony-pheasantstyle: Amongtheformsofplasticexpressionofthepeony-pheasantinthearchitecture ofthegravesoftheNguyenDynastyqueens’mausoleums,themostprominent onesaretheplasticdecorationontheframeornamentationoftheTuDu,Thanh CungandTienCungtombswithveryelegantandlyricallines.Thedecorationof peony-pheasantcreatesmanyaestheticsymmetryandspatialimpressions,plastic effects in the architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty The architecture of the NguyenDynastyhadchangesinmaterialstructureandexpression,frameornaments with the creative rhythm movement of the “double roof, duplex house” architecturalstructurewithalevelofembossmentormosaicbalancingtherange ofeyesandinstraightlines,itexistsaconcise,tight,powerfulbeautyofinterwoven peonies - pheasants. Depending on the specific location of the work, the peony-pheasant decoration is always attached, creating a lively rhythm for the work.TheartofdecorationofeightweaponsinThaiBinhLauissimilar,witha severalofdecorativehighlightsofpeoniesandpheasantsthathavereflectedand expressedoneoftheappearancesandartisticvaluesoftheNguyenDynastyroyal architecture,creatingauniquefeatureoftheartstyleofthisperiod.

CONCLUSION:

Itcanbesaidthattheartisticvaluesofthefourseasonssymbolsarethevisualvaluesassociatedwiththeaestheticoftheroyalart,inharmonywiththegeneralprinciplesofarchitecturaldecorationoftheNguyenDynasty,containingseveraltypicalsymbols,richinaestheticmeaning-profoundhumanityaswellasthephilosophyofquality,lifestyle,culturalbehavioreducationect.stillkeeptheirvalues tothisday

Theuniquepatternvaluesrelatedtothefour-seasonthemeinNguyen'sfineartin Hueareverymeaningfulinresearch,studyandteachingaboutthehistory-culture of the land which possesses many cultural heritage world honored by the Unesco.

REFERENCES:

1. Cadière,L.1998. L'ArtàHué.HaXuanLiem-translatedbyPhanXuanXanh.Bulletin desAmisduVieuxHué-BAVH,no.6,1919.Hue:ThuanHoaPublishingHouse.

2. Dinh,H.H.2014.Studythesymbolsofsometheoreticalapproaches.HaNoi:ThếGiới Publishers,pp.62.

3. Chu,Q.T 2000.HueCultureandFineArts.HaNoi:FineArtPublishingHouse,pp.40.