Dirty stone carving

The sculptor's biggest worry is stone dust.

Recently, we had the opportunity to visit Mr. To Ngoc Hue's stone carving facility, located in a sparsely populated area, on the side of Road 784, in Cha La Commune, Duong Minh Chau District. As soon as we arrived, we heard the sound of hammers hitting chisels, the screeching sound of cutting blades digging into the stone, and the sound of grinding machines coming from a group of workers working hard.

It can be seen that the work of a stone sculptor is quite hard and somewhat dangerous. Especially in the stage of using stone cutting and grinding machines, if the person holding the machine lacks concentration or is negligent in each operation, a work accident can happen at any time.

Mr. Pham Huu Loi, a sculptor, said that in the same block of stone, there are different hard and soft areas. Chiseling the stone must follow the grain to separate the stone or create the desired shape. The technique of using related tools is also very important.

According to Mr. Loi, experienced workers rarely have work-related accidents. Therefore, facility owners always prioritize recruiting skilled workers. However, the most worrying thing is the amount of dust emitted when the cutting and grinding blades touch the stone. Although there is a water spray pipe to reduce dust when cutting, the dust is still not completely eliminated, and the workers' respiratory tract is still affected.

Through observation, although the group of workers worked under the hot sun, everyone showed signs of shivering because their whole bodies were always soaked. Wet due to the amount of water sprayed on the cutting and grinding blades to hold back the dust and from there splashing into the surrounding environment, the water now included mixed stone dust. Although it was so hard, the workers all focused on working very seriously to shape the stone, making products with many unique shapes imbued with spirituality.

Mr. To Ngoc Hue said that the stone carving profession in the market today creates many richly shaped products, from different types of stone materials. Particularly at Mr. Hue's facility, the main products created are tombstones, tombs and related decorative images to serve people who need to make tombs for deceased relatives. The main material used to carve and create the products is granite, which Mr. Hue purchases in whole blocks from the market outside the province.

Mr. Hue added that due to the increasingly scarce natural stone resources, the cost of input materials is much higher than before. In such a situation, workers must calculate and measure precisely to every centimeter of stone before performing the cutting, chiseling, shaping, grinding, and finishing steps, in order to save materials as much as possible. This is a job that requires a lot of experience and precise shaping techniques.

The owner of the stone carving establishment confided that this profession is mainly based on labor, and that he can only sell a few sets of tombstones and tombstones during the Qingming Festival each year. Each set costs between 40 and 50 million VND, depending on the customer's order. After deducting expenses, the remaining amount is often just enough to maintain the establishment and have a little left over to cover living expenses.

“The source of income is so unstable, but those who work in this profession must always adhere to the principle of ensuring quality, durable products, delicate carvings, designs according to customer requirements but must be suitable for the spiritual field. These principles are also considered the responsibility of the practitioner, to contribute to beautifying the grave and comforting the souls of the deceased,” Mr. Hue confided.

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Source: https://baotayninh.vn/lam-lem-nghe-dieu-khac-da-a189865.html