New book reveals exiled Vietnamese emperor as artist in Algeria

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The book “Ham Nghi – Exiled Emperor, Artist in Algeria” is launched on November 5.

The book was published in Vietnamese last month, as a 500-page volume, compiled by Dr. Amandine Dabat, Ham Nghi’s fifth-generation descendant. The book explores the dual identity of the emperor as a patriot and an artist during his exile in France and Algeria. Originally published in French by Sorbonne Press in 2019, the book features 71 pages of artwork, 12 pages of sculptures, and 68 pages of archival photographs and correspondence.

Dabat's research was drawn from two major collections: a private family archive of 2,500 documents, including Ham Nghi's personal correspondence during exile, and administrative records from the Algerian government stored at France's national overseas archives.

At the book launch, Ham Nghi's descendants donated several royal artifacts to the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum under the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre, including mother-of-pearl inlaid wooden trays, royal chopsticks made of walrus ivory, and imperial porcelain items used during his reign.

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