A STUDY OF HUMAN SYMBOLS ON VIETNAMESE BANKNOTES: THEIR SYMBOLISM AND CHARACTERISTIC

Tóm tắt

Banknotes are not only an economic category but also a cultural and historical category. Vietnamese banknotes are a part of Vietnamese history and an element of Vietnamese culture. This article aims to study the human symbol on Vietnamese banknotes since the August 1945 Revolutionthrough some characteristics of the method and art of expression and outline some primary meanings of the human symbol on paper currency. This study examined 104 samples of Vietnamese banknotes from 1945 to the present. The findings from the study showed that the Vietnamese images are associated with the national cultural identity, history, and the revolution. The symbolic meaning of the human image on Vietnamese banknotes: symbolizing patriotism, the strength of national unity, and the beauty of the Vietnamese people. The images of people on Vietnamese banknotes are a unique cultural symbol, adding to Vietnam’s new cultural symbol system.