Vietnam handicrafts
Ceramics
There are many villages throughout the country that
produce ceramics. Some of these villages include Phu Lang in Bac Ninh Province,
Huong Canh in Vinh Phuc Province, Lo Chum in Thanh Hoa Province, Thanh Ha in
Hoi An (Quang Nam Province), and Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province.
Bat Trang Ceramic Village (Hanoi) is very old.
According to historical documents, products from this village were well known
as far back as the 15th century.
Vietnamese ceramic is now well known in both the
domestic and international markets. Traditional products include kitchen items
and trays. The flower-patterned bowls of Bat Trang have been exported to
Sweden, the cucumber pots to Russia, and the teapots to France.
Bamboo products
Bamboo and rattan (tre, may, and song) are abundant
sources of material used by Vietnamese handicraftsmen. The advantages of these
products are that they are light, durable, and termite resistant.
Bamboo and rattan products from Vietnam first
appeared on the world market at a Paris fair in 1931. Since then, more than 200
items made from these materials are sold overseas. Among the most popular are
baskets, flower pots, lampshades, and bookshelves.
Lacquer-ware
Lacquer-ware is really typical to Vietnam, although
it also exists in other Asian countries. It is said that the resin extracted
from the trees in Phu Tho Province is the best one. As such, the lacquer-ware
products made in Vietnam are very beautiful and durable.
As early as the 18th century, people in Nam Ngu
District in Thang Long (Hanoi) specialized in making lacquer-ware products. In
its early stages of development, lacquer-ware contained only four colors:
black, red, yellow, and brown. However, due to improvements in technologies in
later years, additional pigment colors were made, therein, creating a wider
range of lacquer colors.
Currently, Vietnamese made lacquer-ware products are
essential in both the domestic and foreign markets. The renowned products
include wall paintings, flower vases, jewelry boxes, trays, chessboards, and
folding screens.
Mother-of-pearl Inlaying
Craftsmen performing inlaying use different types of
oyster shells and pearls, which offer a wide array of colors. This art form
requires a lot of effort as the process of inlaying involves numerous stages,
including designing, grinding, cutting, carving, chiseling, and polishing.
Inlaying is widely used in the furniture industry to
make tables, desks, chairs, picture frames, and trays that portray various
ancient tales. These tales are displayed as scenes of nature, such as birds,
butterflies, lotus ponds, and banana trees.
The process of inlaying furniture has increased the
value of wooden articles. According to legend, this handicraft originated in
the Chuon Village in Ha Tay Province.
Stone Sculpture
Most of the traditional sculptures are made in Da
Nang City, more specifically near Ngu Hanh Son Mountain located between Quan
Khai and Hoa Khe villages.
Sculptors use marble to carve various articles of
high value, including bracelets, ash-trays, Buddha statues, ornamental flowers,
leaves and trees, and animal statues, such as cats and peacocks.
Embroidery
In the past, embroidery was mainly reserved for the
benefit of the upper class, temples, and pagodas. The technique of this art
form was rather simple, and it involved only five colors of thread: yellow,
red, green, violet, and blue.
Presently, embroidered goods serve both useful and
decorative purposes. New technologies have helped to produce new materials,
such as white cloth, lampshades, and lace. As a result, the embroidery industry
has developed and there is now a wide range of new products including
pillowcases, bed sheets, and kimonos. The most skilled type of embroidery is
the production of portraits, which requires using up to 60 different colors of
thread.
It is believed that embroidery originated in Quat
Dong Village in Ha Tay Province.
Jewelry
As soon as the 2nd century, the Vietnamese were
using gold and silver to create jewelry. There are three different techniques
used to make gold and silver jewelry, including intricate carving, casting,
which is the process of melting metal and pouring it into flower, lead, or bird
shaped moulds, and common processing, which is a process of polishing metal.
These three techniques can be combined to make
intricate pieces of jewelry. Because of the flexibility of the raw materials,
the color of gold, and the brightness of silver, beautiful necklaces,
bracelets, earrings, rings, trays, and cups are created.
It is said that gold work originated in Dinh Cong
Village near Hanoi and that silver work originated in Dong Xam Village in Thai
Binh Province.
Wood works
Since the 1980s, the production of fine wooden
articles has experienced a strong revival. These works of art have been much
sought after in both domestic and foreign markets. The most popular of these
products are wooden statutes and sets of wooden chairs, cabinets, and beds.
Currently, there are many companies dealing in the
production and sale of wooden items. Their skilled employees have produced many
beautiful and highly appreciated products.
Copper Casting
Copper casting is one of the most famous and
enduring traditional art forms of Vietnam. With the help of technology, several
ancient copper items from all over the country have been preserved.
Approximately 3,000 years ago, ancient Vietnamese discovered how to cast copper
to make brass tools, weapons, and ornaments; therein, initiating the metal age.
Some brass statues that have been preserved serve as proof of the blooming
period of copper casting in Vietnam. In later years, pursuing their forefathers’
talents, handicraftsmen created many innovative brass products that suited the
needs of society.
Some of the most famous copper pieces known today
include a series of brass drums that were cast over centuries. As well, there
are brass artifacts currently exhibited in Hue, such as a bronze kettle at the
Imperial Palace (1659-1684), the bronze plaque of Thien Mu Pagoda (1677), the
bell of Thien Mu Pagoda (1710), the Nine Cannons (1803-1804), and the Nine
Dynastic Urns (1835-1837).
Today, only a few copper casting villages remain,
such as Ngu Xa in Hanoi, the casting quarter near Hue, and Phuoc Kieu in Quang
Nam.