Preserving and promoting the brocade weaving craft of the Tay people

Mrs. Nong Thi Thuoc always has a burning desire to preserve and promote the traditional brocade weaving craft in Luong Noi.

To preserve and pass on this traditional craft, the province's functional sectors are proposing many solutions.

According to Ms. Dam Thi Hue, Chairwoman of Ngoc Dao Commune People's Committee, Lung Noi (in Tay language) means small valley. Lung Noi hamlet is 100% Tay people living; there are 83 households with 307 people. Previously, the whole hamlet practiced brocade weaving. However, from 2012 to now, there are only about 30 households practicing the profession.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Ngoc Dao commune emphasized that the brocade weaving profession of the Tay people in Lung Noi hamlet is a long-standing traditional craft, formed and developed naturally in the labor process, originating from the practice of self-sufficiency. The traditional brocade of the Tay people here is shaped and decorated with many beautiful and rich patterns on indigo fabric with sophisticated weaving and pattern-making techniques, demonstrating the skillful hands and creative aesthetic sense of women.

Through decorative motifs and patterns on brocade, people here express their thoughts, feelings and aspirations in life; express the spiritual world , working life, love between people and the connection between people and the natural world.

Among more than 30 households practicing brocade weaving, the family of artisan Nong Thi Thuoc (Lung Noi hamlet, Ngoc Dao commune) maintains it most regularly. Artisan Nong Thi Thuoc said that the brocade weaving profession of the Tay people in Lung Noi is a harmonious combination of patterns, colors and lines. Light, dark, hot and cold colors are skillfully processed on a dominant opaque white background, creating a unique identity that can only be found here.

The traditional brocade weaving technique of the Tay people includes stages such as: spinning, looming, creating patterns, weaving. The brocade weaving profession requires perseverance, skillful hands and creativity of Tay ethnic women. They spread bamboo sticks on a loom that has been programmed with patterns, weaving brocade by putting the fabric thread into a shuttle, then the shuttle moves back and forth on the loom. Each time, only one pattern can be created. If you want to create another pattern, you have to program it from the beginning. The unique feature is that the Tay people in Ngoc Dao create patterns on the left side of the brocade product, not weaving from the right side like the usual weaving technique...

The tools used to weave brocade products are looms, the shuttles are made of wood, on the looms are soft bamboo sticks to create patterns. Decorative patterns have three main forms: geometric patterns, realistic patterns of plants, realistic patterns of animals. In addition, there are also some religious patterns on the costumes of Then and Tao masters.

The patterns created on brocade products truly reflect the society, the production activities and the spiritual culture of the Tay people in Lung Noi hamlet. The patterns show the close relationship between humans and nature, the inherent harmony as an immutable law. The main colors on brocade products are blue, red, yellow, purple, white, black. From these colors, the weavers will mix dark and light tones to suit the idea for each product.

Tay women use woven brocade to sew blankets, baby carriers, bed sheets and unique ethnic costumes. Today, brocade products are still used in spiritual life such as: altar curtains, some details that make up the clothes, hats, scarves, tool bags, and cushions for shamans...

To preserve and promote the national intangible cultural heritage, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has linked brocade weaving with tourism development, creating a unique feature to attract tourists to visit and experience.

Ms. To Thi Trang, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Cao Bang province, said that in the coming time, the province will have more specific plans to preserve and promote the value of the brocade weaving profession of the Tay people in Lung Noi. In particular, the province will pay attention to building and implementing a project to support, train and improve the skills of brocade weavers; encourage the Tay people in Lung Noi to proactively orient and motivate people to invest in manual weaving frames, diversify the designs and types of brocade products..., creating quality products to supply the market. Along with that, the province continues to promote and attract tourists to experience in order to preserve, promote and increase the income of people working in the brocade weaving profession...

According to VNA

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