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Ms. Tran Hong Nhung guided participants in beeswax painting and indigo dyeing on Do paper during an experience session at Ngu Ha Vien, Hue City. |
Its journey
In Sung village, Cao Son commune, now part of Phu Tho province, the agarwood tree has been cultivated regularly in the fields for many years. However, the Dao Tien people here mainly harvest the bark and sell it to other paper-making regions. Therefore, the paper-making craft that was once associated with the agarwood tree is no longer present in community life.
During a business trip to the highlands, Ms. Tran Hong Nhung (born in 1982, from Hanoi ) visited Sung village while working in community development. Seeing the agarwood trees planted right in the place that once produced traditional agarwood paper impressed her. Through conversations with the Dao Tien people, Ms. Nhung understood that the craft of papermaking once existed in Sung village, but gradually faded from community life as societal needs changed.
After the trip, Ms. Tran Hong Nhung began researching traditional dó paper-making techniques. She then returned to Sung village, working with artisan Ly Sao Mai and local families to revive the paper-making process. From there, a dó paper production cooperative gradually formed, combined with experiential activities for tourists. Ms. Nhung shared: “Dó paper can only return to the village when the people directly engage in the craft, understand the value of the product, and earn an income from it.”
Besides reviving the craft in Sung village, Ms. Hong Nhung also proactively built a supply chain to ensure a stable market for Do paper. From the raw material source, the paper is transported to Hanoi, participating in exhibitions, product experiences, and sales through the Zó Project. This helps paper makers go beyond just production and clearly recognize the value of the product they create.
According to Ms. Nhung, reviving the traditional craft of making dó paper needs to go hand in hand with expanding the ways the material is used in daily life. Therefore, dó paper is being tested in various applications, from notebooks and greeting cards to decorative items and design products. These experiments aim to create more demand, thereby maintaining production in the raw material producing region.
When handmade paper is combined with beeswax.
In the lives of the Dao Tien people, beeswax is closely associated with their traditional clothing. Artisan Ly Sao Mai said: "Previously, women in the village melted beeswax and drew directly onto the fabric by hand, creating patterns based on memory and life experience. The patterns drawn with beeswax symbolized things present in daily life such as mountains, clouds, the sun, and plants."
When fabric is dyed with indigo multiple times, the wax-coated areas retain their original color, creating distinctive patterns on garments. This technique has been passed down from generation to generation. However, with the popularity of ready-made clothing, beeswax painting has gradually disappeared. Therefore, the idea of applying beeswax to dó paper arose from a desire to expand the reach of this traditional technique. Ms. Nhung believes that the fibrous structure of dó paper holds the wax very well. When light passes through, the wax patches create a translucent effect, giving the patterns a sense of depth, and the paper is no longer just a simple flat surface.
Based on these characteristics, beeswax-painted dó paper has been experimented with in decorative products. Table lamps, bedside lamps, and some small furniture items are considered suitable applications. This experimentation is based on the principle of preserving the spirit of traditional techniques while exploiting the material's characteristics to suit modern living spaces.
During the workshop "Awakening the Beauty of Do Paper and Beeswax," held at Ngu Ha Vien in Hue City at the end of December, young people had the opportunity to directly paint with beeswax on Do paper. From this, they understood the value of the traditional crafts of the Dao Tien people. Pham Thuy Duong (from Ho Chi Minh City) shared: "For me, beeswax is both a painting material and a natural ingredient. Through this, I learned more about the patterns of the Dao people and how they create painting tools from nature."
According to artisan Ly Sao Mai, applying beeswax to Do paper is a way for traditional painting techniques to continue being practiced in a contemporary context. During the workshops, she directly instructs participants on how to heat the wax, maintain the temperature, create strokes, and explains the meaning of each pattern used on the traditional clothing of the Dao Tien people.
"After the trials of drawing with beeswax on Do paper, if the results are positive, this technique will be further refined for wider application in decoration, interior design, and handcrafted gifts. This will create more avenues for Do paper and provide a more stable market for those involved in the craft," said Ms. Tran Hong Nhung.
Text and photos: Bach Chau
Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/danh-thuc-ve-dep-tu-giay-do-va-sap-ong-161987.html
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