Two Vietnamese ceramic works were recently recognised as Guinness World Records at a ceremony in Hanoi. Created by Vietnamese artisan Nguyen Hung and the Huong Viet Ceramic Company, the ceramics include a sculpture of a toad and a carved and embossed ceramic plate. They were recognised as the largest ceramic sculpture of a mythical creature and the largest carved ceramic plate, respectively.
The world’s largest carved ceramic plate measures 137 cm and weighs 400 kg. It was made in 2018 and took roughly 2,500 hours.
The sculpture of the toad, measuring 173.5 cm in length, 110 cm in width, and 77.8 cm in height, was made from clay and a unique enamel. Weighing 1,500 kg, it was made by Hung in 2018 after six and a half months of work. The mythical creature is known in Asia as the holy three-legged toad, or feng shui toad, and is a symbol of prosperity.
Nguyen Hung, whose real name is Nguyen Van Hung, was born in 1971 in the northern port city of Hai Phong. He has pursued the ceramic craft for 40 years and has improved upon many techniques in the craft, such as sculpture, embossing, relief, and negative engraving on ceramics.
The fact that Hung’s work is celebrated as a Guinness World Record is not only affirma๊tion for him personally but also a way to inspire the younger generation to contribute to preserving and promoting the essence of a traditional cꦫraft of the forefathers./.
