Colorful bamboo and rattan products through the hands of Thai women in Nghe An
Hoai Thu - Thanh Phuc - May 4, 2024 07:40
(Baonghean.vn) - After many years of using only two colors, black and white, for rattan and bamboo products, skilled craftsmen of the Diem Bamboo and Rattan Cooperative (Con Cuong) not only created new designs, but also meticulously dyed many colorful colors for rattan and bamboo fibers from flowers and leaves of forest trees.
In Diem village, Chau Khe border commune (Con Cuong), from a rattan and bamboo weaving group mainly consisting of women, the elderly took advantage of their free time to gather together to weave household items. After more than ten years, this spontaneous weaving group has developed into the Diem village rattan and bamboo weaving cooperative with nearly 30 members. Photo: Hoai ThuAll products of the cooperative are handmade. Photo: Thanh PhucMost of the cooperative members were born and raised in Diem village and are now elderly. Many are over 80 years old. Photo: Hoai ThuWith increasing age, the women in Diem village said that on average, it takes each person 1 day to complete a complete basket or tray product, selling for an average price of 50,000 VND/piece. Photo: Thanh PhucHand-woven rattan and bamboo products are mostly household items, bearing the identity of the Thai ethnic group in the Western Nghe An region such as: baskets, trays, rattan chairs, rattan trays, baskets, trays, rice presses... Before 2022, the cooperative's products mainly used 3 main colors: black, milky white and light yellow. For more than a year now, the members have been determined to add many other colors to their products" - Ms. Lang Thi Hoa - Head of the Diem Bamboo and Rattan Cooperative said. Photo: Thanh PhucThe new colors were researched and tested by skilled craftsmen and old women in Diem village using raw materials such as plants, flowers and leaves around their gardens and deep in the forest. Currently, after more than a year of persistent testing, in addition to creating new patterns and product types, the people of Diem village have also created many eye-catching organic colors for rattan and bamboo products such as: bright pink, red, reddish brown, light brown, banana green, teal green, charcoal blue, dark purple, light purple, yellow... Photo: Hoai ThuSkilled worker Vi Thi Noi (far right) said that natural colors extracted from grass, flowers and leaves, when processed properly, will penetrate deep into the bamboo, creating a durable color that will not fade for decades and is very safe for the user's health, and environmentally friendly. Women and mothers revealed the "secret" of creating colors from plants such as: Brown color is created from brown tubers, depending on the processing time and dilution, it can produce light brown or dark brown; bright yellow is created from the vine plant; black is created from the bark of the sanga tree; and banana yellow is created by soaking green betel leaves in diluted lime water; dark yellow is dyed with fresh turmeric juice... Photo: Thanh PhucPink is created from the color of portulaca flowers and phang leaves; purple is created from purple leaves, or from purple evening flowers. Photo: Hoai ThuThe process of coloring the rattan and bamboo fibers before weaving them into products is also done entirely by hand and through many stages and a lot of time. In the photo: To create a dark brown color, the rattan and bamboo fibers must be boiled with crushed brown root water continuously for 24 hours. Photo: Hoai ThuAfter boiling for many hours, dry the rattan and bamboo fibers on a wood stove or in a place with mild sunlight. Wait until the rattan and bamboo fibers are dry to determine the lightness or darkness of the color. If you want a darker color, the boiling, cooking and drying process must be repeated many times. "Depending on the type of color and the type of grass, the cooking time and mixing of ingredients will be adjusted differently. However, all require meticulousness and patience," said Ms. Lang Thi Hoa. Photo: Hoai ThuNew colors are created from plants through the skillful, creative and patient hands of skilled craftsmen in Diem village. Photo: Thanh PhucIn addition to the bright new colors, cooperative members also create new product models to meet increasingly diverse market needs. In the photo: Ms. Vi Thi Noi introduces a completed rattan and bamboo watch face product. She is one of three people who were awarded the title of Provincial Skilled Worker by the Provincial People's Committee in 2020. Photo: Hoai ThuTourists and locals coming to Diem village love handicraft products made from rattan and bamboo not only because of their colorful and benign colors but also because of their affordable prices. The prices of the products depend on the type and size, from 30,000 to 50,000 VND for baskets, trays, etc. Rattan trays, depending on their size, cost from 700,000 VND to 2-3 million VND/piece; rattan chairs, 200,000 to 250,000 VND/piece; handbags, depending on their size, cost from 100,000 to 300,000 VND... Thanks to innovations, many hand-woven rattan and bamboo products of Diem villagers are now being ordered by customers in Asia and Europe, opening up opportunities for development and elevating traditional crafts. Photo: Thanh Phuc
Clip: Thu - Phuc
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