Restore an Ancient Hàng Trống Painting Portraying the Council of Four Palaces

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This Hàng Trống folk painting artifact, dating back to the late 19th century to early 20th century, depicts the official Four Palaces pantheon of the Mother Goddess religion. Upon acquisition, the painting was significantly damaged and required restoration. Below is a video of the restoration process for this artifact.

The current condition of the painting after restoration

The painting depicts:

  • Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara
  • Second row (from left to right):
    • Father Emperor of Water Palace: Dragon King of the Eastern Ocean [八海龍王]
    • Father Emperor of Heaven Palace: Jade Emperor [玉皇上帝]
    • Father Emperor of Earth Palace: Great Emperor of Phong Đô [酆都大帝]
    • Father Emperor of Mountain Palace: Venerable Saint of Mount Tản Viên [傘圓山聖]
  • Third row (from left to right)
    • Second Mother Goddess of Earth: Princess Quỳnh Hoa Liễu Hạnh [瓊花柳杏公主]
    • Fourth Mother Goddess of Mountain: Princess Lê Mại Bạch Anh [黎邁白英公主]
    • First Mother Goddess of Heaven: Princess Cửu Trùng Thanh Vân [九重青雲公主]
    • Third Mother Goddess of Water: Princess Bạch Ngọc Xích Lân [白玉赤鱗公主]

We can also easily observe that this painting shares significant similarities with another painting shown in this photo. The photo was taken at Dầy Palace, Nam Định Province, in 1920.

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