Range planning
Which bronze altar sizes to stock first
Vietnamese altar bronzeware is sized by a number that is not centimetres. How to pick the sizes and the mix that actually sell off a retail shelf.
Vietnamese altar bronzeware is ordered by a number — size 60, size 65 — and that number is not the height in centimetres. A size 60 censer measures about 57 cm. Getting the convention right, then holding two or three sizes in depth instead of one of everything, is most of what decides whether a first pallet sells off the shelf or sits on it. Here is how the sizes run and which ones to hold.
What the number in “size 60” actually means
The number is a traditional sizing figure for the censer, the largest piece in the set, and it runs a little above the tape measure. Our size 60 censer measures about 57 cm in the showroom. Every other piece in the set is then sized against that censer, not against the number. So when you compare two offers, compare measured heights, and ask for them in writing. A supplier who cannot give you the measured figure for each size is not the one casting the piece.
How the pieces scale against each other
A five-piece set — the ngu su — is a censer, a pair of cranes on tortoises and a pair of candlesticks. The proportions between them are the first thing a Vietnamese customer checks, and they are fixed:
- Cranes stand 5–7 cm taller than the censer
- Candlesticks stand 12–15 cm shorter than the censer
- The incense bowl, where one is ordered with the set, is about a third of the censer's height
- Wall thickness is about 5 mm through the body, about 8 mm at feet and handles
- Hand-casting tolerance is 1–3 cm either way; beyond 5 cm is a fault
Get one of the first two wrong and the set reads as wrong from across a room, even to a customer who could not say why. Reading a Vietnamese altar set explains what each piece is for.
Which sizes to stock, and which to leave made to order
Our censers run 40–70 cm. Within that range the middle sells and the ends are ordered. Weights: a size 65 five-piece set is about 36 kg. For the other sizes, ask for the weight sheet with your quotation rather than working from an estimate — it is the figure your freight plan depends on.
| Nominal size | Measured censer height | Where it goes | Five-piece set weight | Stock or made to order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | ask for the measured figure | Apartment shelf shrine, small side altar | ask for the weight sheet | Made to order |
| 50 | ask for the measured figure | Standard household altar in a flat | ask for the weight sheet | Hold one or two |
| 60 | about 57 cm | The common household altar | ask for the weight sheet | Hold deepest |
| 65 | ask for the measured figure | Large family altar, ancestral room | about 36 kg | Hold second deepest |
| 70 | ask for the measured figure | Clan hall, temple, community space | ask for the weight sheet | Made to order |
One size in depth, or three sizes in breadth?
Depth, on a first order. A repeat run takes 21–30 days from deposit, so the size that sells out in week three cannot be back on the shelf for the season unless you already hold it. Three sizes at one set each looks like a range and behaves like a display. Two sizes at real depth, with 40 and 70 quoted as made to order, gives you something to sell from and something to sell against. Once a season of data exists, widen from there.
What size does to weight, crating and shelf space
Bronze runs out of weight before it runs out of space. A size 65 set at roughly 36 kg is a two-person lift and a crate of its own; the same shelf that holds four size 50 sets will take fewer of the larger ones and will need checking for load. Plan the shelf and the crate together, and ask for the crated dimensions alongside the weight sheet when you request a quotation. Sizes, weights, tolerances and packing has the general figures.
What to put on the order so the sizes arrive as agreed
Write the sizes down the way you want them measured, not the way they are marketed. Each line should carry the nominal size, the measured censer height, the piece count in the set, the finish, and the tolerance. The full range is in the catalogue, and every form on altar bronzeware can be cast in any of our finishes — choose the pattern first, then the colour.
Questions buyers ask
Is the size on the piece its real height?
No. It is a traditional sizing number for the censer and runs a little above the measured height — size 60 measures about 57 cm. Always quote the measured figure to your own customers.
How many pieces are in a set?
Five in the ngu su: one censer, two cranes on tortoises, two candlesticks. Incense bowls and other pieces are ordered alongside it rather than counted inside it.
Which size sells best to diaspora customers?
The middle of the range moves fastest, because it fits a household altar in a flat or a suburban house. The 70 is a hall piece and the 40 is a shelf piece; both are usually ordered rather than held.
One size in quantity, or several sizes with a few of each?
One or two sizes in quantity on a first order. A repeat run needs 21–30 days, so depth is what lets you restock inside a selling season.
Do the large sizes have to be made to order?
In practice yes — the 70 is usually cast to order, and it is worth telling an end customer about the 21–30 day window before you take their deposit.
Send a line list, get a quotation in two working days. Tell us the sizes and quantities you are considering and we will come back with a quotation, measured heights and a weight sheet — so the shelf plan and the freight plan use the same numbers. Use the request a quote form or WhatsApp at +84 926 199 999.