{"id":7576,"date":"2025-12-01T21:12:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T14:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/battrang.museum\/?post_type=journal&p=7576"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:26:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T04:26:55","slug":"ma-nien-spirit-of-the-horse-a-reflection-on-time-and-origin","status":"publish","type":"journal","link":"https:\/\/battrang.museum\/en\/journal\/ma-nien-spirit-of-the-horse-a-reflection-on-time-and-origin\/","title":{"rendered":"M\u00c3 NI\u00caN \/ SPIRIT OF THE HORSE – A reflection on time and origin"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” css=”.vc_custom_1764600169556{background-image: url(http:\/\/battrang.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/COVER-NGANG-BST-MA-NIEN-RESIZED-FOR-BTMJLAI_5555-2.jpg?id=7667) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”48rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”3rem”][vc_empty_space height=”3rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

M\u00c3 NI\u00caN \/ SPIRIT OF THE HORSE\r\n– A reflection on time and origin<\/h1>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”1rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_empty_space height=”3rem”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-md-5 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

A design collaboration between B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum Atelier (BTMA)<\/strong> and artist Phan Linh<\/strong>, the M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Collection reflects on the horse as a symbol of time, memory, and origins. The works combine Phan Linh\u2019s contemporary sculptural language with BTMA\u2019s distinctive ceramic craftsmanship.<\/span><\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

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\r\n<\/strong>Photograph L\u00ea Lai\r\n<\/strong>Florals\u00a0V\u1ef9 Nguy\u1ec5n<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-2 vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-offset-4 vc_col-xs-4″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md vc_hidden-sm”][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_single_image image=”7580″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-2 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_empty_space height=”10rem”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text el_class=”no-indent”]\r\n

The M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Horse Sculpture depicts a horse gazing into a quiet stream. Cloud-like ripples on the water surface appear in its eyes and spirit, creating a poetic moment where earth, sky, and nature meet.<\/span><\/h3>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-6 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-6 vc_col-xs-8″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_single_image image=”7816″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/4″ offset=”vc_col-md-2 vc_col-sm-offset-1 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-3″][vc_single_image image=”7584″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”14rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]A memory returning<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Horse Sculpture, the centerpiece of the collection, depicts a horse gazing into a quiet stream. Cloud-like ripples on the water surface appear in its eyes and spirit, creating a poetic moment where earth, sky, and nature meet.<\/span>\r\n\r\nYears living in Northern Europe\u2014with its brief winter light, harsh climate, and shifting landscapes\u2014opened a contemplative space where Eastern sensibilities returned to the artist\u2019s inner world. The calm image of a horse on the fields, observed through changing seasons, became a point of resonance that awakened her memories of the four seasons at home and shaped the emotional thread of the collection.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_section el_class=”.grid-collection”][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7592″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7594″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7662″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7590″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]A path tracing back to origins<\/strong>\r\n\r\nFrom these distant memories, Phan Linh traced an inner journey back to her cultural roots\u2014where tradition transcends geography. The motif of a horse drinking from a stream evokes a sense of origin, place, and enduring values passed through generations.<\/span>\r\n\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”7620″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]In the M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Horse Sculpture, a minimalist contemporary form is subtly connected with tradition through a water motif inspired by the curved lines of a saddle on a 19th-century stone sculpture at Minh M\u1ea1ng Mausoleum, and through cloud patterns familiar in classical Vietnamese art and architecture.<\/span>\r\n\r\nCloud motifs follow the saddle-like outline of the form and are crafted using layered relief techniques, combining raised and recessed surfaces with BTMA\u2019s signature glaze effects to create soft, flowing lines and visual depth.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe interplay between the sculpture\u2019s asymmetrical form and the stability of its cloud-shaped base creates a balanced composition where contemporary shapes intersect with traditional details in a refined design dialogue.<\/span>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7646″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Cloud-motif ceramic base of the M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Horse Sculpture (2025)<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7644″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
19th-century stone sculpture at Minh M\u1ea1ng Mausoleum<\/span><\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”8rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7604″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7606″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7681″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7670″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]A tradition carried into the present<\/strong>\r\n\r\nDrawing on her experience as a multidisciplinary artist with a bold approach to color, Phan Linh selected BTMA\u2019s signature glazes\u2014bronze green, cobalt blue, red, and blush pink\u2014to shape the palette of the collection. In the M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Horse Sculpture, the head and base are conceived as two distinct visual axes, allowing flexible and expressive color combinations. <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”7624″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7648″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7656″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row content_placement=”bottom”][vc_column width=”5\/12″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-1″][vc_single_image image=”7658″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”5\/12″][vc_single_image image=”7654″ img_size=”large”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

Expanding from the central sculpture, the collection includes the Horse Cup, Noodle Bowl, Horse-Tail Vase, and Coaster\u2014everyday forms reinterpreted through the design language and spirit of M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean, creating a natural connection between artistic expression and functional objects.<\/span><\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7612″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Horse-Tail Vase<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7610″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean\u00a0Cappuccino Cup<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7616″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Espresso Cup<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7638″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Horse-Tail Vase<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7853″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Cup and Bowl Set<\/h5>\r\n
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\u00a0M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Round Coaster<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7857″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Espresso & Cappuccino Cup, Noodle & Large Soup Bowl<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7859″ img_size=”full”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
\u00a0M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean Saddle Coaster<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n

The\u00a0M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean\u00a0sculpture is composed of three detachable sections, allowing the glaze tones to shift according to space.<\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”4rem”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7844″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7842″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7818″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7838″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7836″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7840″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7846″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7824″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7832″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7830″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7834″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ offset=”vc_col-xs-6″][vc_single_image image=”7851″ img_size=”full”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

M\u00e3 Ni\u00ean also continues BTMA\u2019s collaborations with contemporary artists: from <\/span>R\u1ed3ng Ph\u1ed1<\/span><\/i> (2023) and <\/span>An Nam<\/span><\/i> (2024) with designer Di\u1ec7u Anh, to <\/span>Con V\u1ecbt Collection<\/span><\/i> (2025) with architect Nguy\u1ec5n H\u00e0. BTMA\u2019s signature techniques\u2014from sculpting and carving to layered glazes\u2014combined with each artist\u2019s design perspective, create dynamic conversations between heritage and contemporary practice. This spirit positions ceramics as a source of inspiration for new artistic explorations shaped by the materials and sensibilities of our time.<\/span><\/p>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][vc_single_image image=”7608″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-4 vc_col-sm-offset-2″][vc_column_text]\r\n

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About B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum Atelier (BTMA)\r\n<\/strong>BTMA is the nearly 50-year-old ceramic atelier of B\u00e1t Tr\u00e0ng Museum, run by members of the founding family as a way to continue the legacy of the late People\u2019s Artisan <\/span>V\u0169 Th\u1eafng. The atelier researches and refines elements of traditional Vietnamese ceramics\u2014forms, glazes, and motifs\u2014and reinterprets them through contemporary design. <\/span>Alongside preserving the works that shaped the founder\u2019s legacy, BTMA collaborates with artists across disciplines to develop new collections grounded in heritage and shaped by the creative spirit of the present.<\/span><\/h5>\r\n \r\n
About the Artist \u2014 Phan Linh\r\n<\/strong>With nearly two decades of experience in visual arts and creative design, Phan Linh has worked as Art Director for leading magazines and spent over nine years collaborating with Herm\u00e8s as a Window Display Artist. Her work balances modern graphic sensibilities with traditional Vietnamese craft, creating dialogues between past and present. <\/span>Since moving to Norway, she has focused on studio practice, exploring themes of memory, place, and material.<\/span><\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ offset=”vc_col-md-offset-1 vc_col-md-3 vc_col-sm-offset-2 vc_col-xs-offset-1 vc_col-xs-10″][vc_single_image image=”6822″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”8px” css=”.vc_custom_1764583449501{background-image: url(http:\/\/battrang.museum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BTA_Logo_Small.png?id=6821) !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”7622″ img_size=”large”][vc_empty_space height=”1rem”][vc_column_text]\r\n
Artist Phan Linh<\/h5>\r\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”8rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”2rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”16rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_single_image image=”7634″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_single_image image=”7632″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem”][vc_empty_space height=”6rem” el_class=”hide-mobile”][vc_single_image image=”7584″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”16rem”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
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Four Women Designers in Dialogue with Ceramic Heritage<\/h4>\n \n\t
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