Footnotes

Provenance
Binoche, Paris, Art du Vietnam - Collection de S. A. T. Le Prince Bao Long et à divers, 22 November 1995, lot 73.
Acquired from the above by the present owner.
Private collection, France.


This rare and finely preserved manuscript is a handwritten copy of the Hiệp Kỷ Lịch (協紀曆), the traditional Vietnamese lunisolar almanac, produced in 1930 during the fourth year of Emperor Bảo Đại's reign. Created within the Imperial Workshops of Huế, this work exemplifies the enduring scholarly and ceremonial traditions of the Nguyễn court in its final decades.

The manuscript is bound in yellow silk—an imperial colour—exquisitely embroidered with a dragon in flight amidst swirling clouds, rendered in vibrant shades of blue, pink, and orange. The dragon, a symbol of imperial authority, is framed by intricate geometric and floral borders, reflecting the refined craftsmanship of the court workshops. The front cover bears a rectangular label inscribed with two Chinese characters denoting Imperial Almanac, affirming its official status.

The interior contains 57 double-page manuscripts, each meticulously handwritten in Chinese character in ink on paper. The almanac contains detailed calendrical data, including lunar phases, solar terms, zodiacal elements, and ritual observances. Unlike the printed editions commonly distributed to officials and the public, this handwritten version was likely intended for high-ranking court use or ceremonial purposes.

Of particular historical significance, this manuscript was formerly in the personal collection of Prince Bảo Long, the eldest son of Emperor Bảo Đại and the last Crown Prince of the Nguyễn Dynasty. It was dispersed at public auction in Paris by Binoche in 1995, and remains a rare surviving artefact directly linked to the imperial household.

The survival of such a manuscript is exceptionally rare, offering valuable insight into the intellectual, ritual, and artistic life of Vietnam's last imperial dynasty.