The Bahnar family is passionate about traditional crafts.

(GLO)- In Kgiang village (To Tung commune), the couple Dinh Thi Hien and Dinh Bi were both honored as Meritorious Artisans in the traditional handicraft category - a rare thing among ethnic minority families in the province. They have "passed on the torch" to help the Bana community preserve the craft of weaving and brocade weaving.

Talented couple, steadfast in their profession

We visited the family of artisan Dinh Thi Hien (born in 1965) when the sun was at its zenith. Next to the dark loom, Mrs. Hien was still nimbly threading the thread to weave brocade skirts. Sitting next to her, Mr. Dinh Bi (born in 1954) was attentively weaving baskets. This simple image of the couple is familiar to the locals, creating an impression on tourists when visiting the village.

Mrs. Dinh Thi Hien teaches her children and grandchildren brocade weaving techniques. Photo: HT

After more than 40 years of weaving, Ms. Hien has accumulated experience and preserved traditional techniques to create many products with sophisticated and beautiful patterns. She is always enthusiastic in participating in traditional costume performances, introducing brocade weaving techniques at competitions and cultural events, typically the Vietnamese Ethnic Culture Day in Hanoi in 2019.

She still grows cotton, spins yarn, and dyes thread in the traditional way. Occasionally, she goes through the forest to find leaves, stems, and trees on the mountain to color the thread.

“This process takes a long time but creates durable brocade products that retain the traditional colors of the mountains and forests, and are popular with many locals and tourists,” Ms. Hien shared.

Mr. Dinh Bi is also famous for his good weaving skills. Meticulously whittling each piece of bamboo, Mr. Bi said: To create woven products, it is necessary to have bamboo or reed strips and rattan for the straps. The strips must be shaved evenly and thinly to ensure tightness when weaving. Particularly for weaving patterned baskets, it is necessary to find an additional type of tree on the mountain and soak it in water to create black color for the strips. Depending on the type of pattern, the sophistication will vary, you can weave two parallel black lines running around the body of the basket or weave more complex shapes.

Mr. Dinh Bi's patterned basket products are popular with locals and tourists. In 2024, based on traditional weaving techniques and materials, he created a flower vase that won first prize at the Kbang District Weaving and Brocade Weaving Competition.

Passion passed on to the next generation

For many years, Mrs. Hien and her husband have been actively teaching and sharing experiences so that their children and villagers can join hands to preserve and promote the weaving and brocade weaving profession.

At the end of 2021, when the commune implemented a project to preserve and develop Bahnar brocade weaving, Ms. Hien and an artisan from the same village directly instructed weaving techniques to many project students, focusing on preserving and promoting the technique of weaving traditional patterns.

Over 70 years old, Mr. Dinh Bi is still diligently preserving the traditional weaving profession of his people. Photo: HT

Despite his old age and declining health, Mr. Dinh Bi still spends a lot of time and effort instructing men in the village on patterned basket weaving techniques. Mr. Dinh Ring (Kgiang village) said: “Before, I also knew how to weave patterned baskets, but in recent years, thanks to Mr. Bi’s guidance, I have been able to weave more beautiful baskets. Currently, I am collaborating with Mr. Bi to teach the craft to the young people in the village.”

The family of artisans Dinh Thi Hien - Dinh Bi is the nucleus of the movement to build a cultural life in the locality, actively participating in activities to preserve traditional culture, promote handicraft products, and contribute to the development of local tourism . The commune regularly promotes the example of Mrs. Hien's family for other families to learn from.

Head of the Department of Culture and Society of To Tung Commune, HA CAO GIANG

According to Mr. Dinh Van Nghien, Secretary of the Kgiang village Party Cell, the family of artisans Dinh Thi Hien - Dinh Bi has always been at the forefront of preserving and promoting traditional handicrafts. "In particular, all four sons and daughters of the couple continue to preserve the traditional craft and have demonstrated their ingenuity in weaving and brocade weaving," Mr. Nghien added.

Ms. Dinh Thi Hai - Mrs. Hien's daughter has been taught the technique of weaving traditional patterns, expressing the beauty in the life and culture of the Bana people. Thanks to that, her brocade products are favored by customers and have won many high prizes at competitions.

“With the desire to create new products from traditional brocade weaving that can attract many customers today, I made “Brung Scarf” made entirely from natural cotton fibers, with beautiful and typical patterns of the Bahnar people. This product was certified as a 3-star OCOP product by Kbang district in 2023,” Ms. Hai shared.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/gia-dinh-bahnar-tam-huyet-voi-nghe-thu-cong-truyen-thong-post569416.html