Preserving the beauty of ancient crafts

Keeper of the Homeland's Soul

In her small house in An Thuan hamlet, Mrs. Le Thi Am still regularly makes conical hats every day, her hands nimbly moving each stitch. Now over 60 years old, Mrs. Am remembers learning the craft from her mother and aunts when she was just 15. Having mastered the skill, outside of class hours she would sit with others making hats in the yard.

“About 30-40 years ago, everyone in the village knew how to make conical hats, especially the women. Back then, adults would come home from working in the fields in the morning and set out their tools to make them. Children would also join in after school. Two or three families would gather together, making hats while chatting – it was so much fun!” – Mrs. Ấm recalled the golden age of conical hat making in this region, her mouth smiling but her eyes filled with nostalgia.

Painting artwork on conical hats is one of the clever ways to bring handcrafted conical hats closer to modern consumers (Photo: Provided by the interviewee).

When she got married, she brought her craft with her as a "dowry." Life was difficult back then, but thanks to making conical hats, she and her husband earned extra income, raised their children, and saved up to build a decent house. "In the past, this job was 'easy work but profitable,' the only fear was not having enough strength because no matter how many hats we made, the buyers would take them all," Mrs. Ấm shared.

According to Mrs. Ấm, to make a hat that meets the requirements, the craftsman must meticulously go through many stages: whittling and bending bamboo strips to make the mold, selecting leaves, arranging the fabric, stitching the hat, and finishing the product. A skilled craftsman is someone who can complete all the steps, from waking up early to soften the leaves to staying up late to fire the furnace and straighten the leaves.

When she was younger, Mrs. Ấm could make 4-5 conical hats a day, but now that her eyesight is poor, she can only make 2 a day. For her, regularly making conical hats every day is a way to preserve the memory of her old craft. She hopes her children and grandchildren understand the value of this traditional craft, but everyone is busy, and few have the time to sit down with the hat brim and thread.

Like Mrs. Ấm, Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Dung (residing in An Thạnh hamlet) also loves the conical hat and continues to make hats every day despite her failing eyesight and less nimble hands. She doesn't remember when she started the craft, only that she's been doing it "since she was very young."

Mrs. Dung said: “There was a time when I worked nonstop. As soon as I collected enough dozen hats, someone would come to pick them up. The brokers placed many orders, sometimes they had to wait until the next day or week to deliver them. At that time, the house was always full of honey leaves, brims and fishing line. Many nights I stayed up late to shine a lamp to sew them in time for orders. It was hard, but I was very happy because I had a job and money to take care of my children's education.”

In the past, making conical hats was her main job, helping her take care of her family. Now, she does it just to earn some extra money for the daily market and to fill the empty time each day. According to Mrs. Dung, few young people are interested in this profession because making conical hats requires patience and meticulousness, while the consumer market is no longer large.

“Nowadays, young people have to work in factories to make ends meet, and making conical hats is just a way for old people like me to have some extra income to keep me company. I think in a few years, this craft will gradually disappear,” Mrs. Dung mused.

Thanks to their skillful hands, the hats bearing the brands of Loc Giang, An Ninh Dong, and An Ninh Tay (names of the localities before the merger) were once transported everywhere by trucks, becoming familiar items closely associated with the lives of many people in the countryside.

Efforts to revive traditional crafts

In order to preserve and promote traditional crafts and create livelihoods for local women, since 2018, the Women's Union of An Ninh commune has implemented a model of making conical hats. With funding from the late Professor, Doctor Phan Hoang Dong, groups of women making conical hats have been formed. From a few small groups initially, the model has now developed into 14 groups, attracting more than 140 women participants.

The conical hats, meticulously crafted by the members, not only help preserve the traditional craft in An Ninh commune but also provide each member with a daily profit of 50,000-70,000 VND, thus motivating many women to stay committed to the profession.

The Women's Union of An Ninh commune is actively seeking ways to market local conical hats.

According to Trinh Thi Hai Yen, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of An Ninh commune: "The market is changing very rapidly. Conical hats are not only used for sun protection and rain shelter but are also considered a product with aesthetic value and a souvenir. Therefore, the hat-making groups in the commune are experimenting with painting patterns and decorating them artistically, both preserving tradition and creating something new to attract buyers."

Simultaneously, the Women's Union of An Ninh commune is also supporting cooperative groups in finding markets for their products. The Union actively posts images and information about the handcrafted conical hats on social media to promote and introduce them to consumers inside and outside the province. This is considered a practical approach, helping An Ninh conical hats get closer to the modern market.

Ms. Duong Thi Be Tuyen - a member of the Conical Hat Making Association, shared: “Joining the association, I not only have more work, but also learn and meet many other women. Preserving the traditional craft of my hometown, although the profit is not much, I feel happy and proud. I just hope to have more stable output so that everyone can feel secure to stick with it for a long time.”

Hopefully, with the joint efforts of the government and the people, the needlework on the conical hat brim will continue through generations, keeping the traditional craft alive and vibrant over time.

Thi My

Source: https://baolongan.vn/gin-giu-net-dep-nghe-xua-a206145.html