“My village is full of silversmiths, let me make you a ring to wear...”This folk verse has long been associated with Dinh Cong village inHanoi’s Hoang Mai district, which is renowned for its silver craftmaking.
In memory of the famous silversmith QuachVan Truong, Dinh Cong village was once full of people producingsilverware. However, these days there are only two remaining familieskeeping this traditional craft alive.
Silver makinginvolves three techniques that sound deceptively simple: decoration,engraving and bending. The completed products are shiny, slender andhave a sophisticated beauty.
This traditional craftrequires artisans to do all the work painstakingly by hand. According toTruong, the silver used to create jewellery must be nearly pure toensure that the finished work will be hard and shiny enough.
“What this craft requires most is diligence. You have to work all dayjust to make a tiny flower. Without patience, you will not be able tolive with it,” Truong said.
It takes months tofinish a silver product. The quality is highest when patterns areattached evenly on the product and no welding marks can be seen.
“The creator of this jewelry must have very precise eyes and skilfulhands. We have the same kinds of products in Malaysia, but thesophistication is not this high. This is flawless and truly beautiful,”said Alex Teh, a Malaysian tourist.
In order topreserve the traditional craft, Truong makes sophisticated decorativeitems as well as jewellery. The talented hands of the silversmith createworks containing hundreds, even thousands of harmonious details.
Truong’s son, Quach Phan Tuan Anh, is also joining his father topreserve their family’s traditional profession. The young man holds twobachelor degrees but is determined to stay at home and maintain thequintessence of the silver carving village.
Thereis no limit for the level of difficulty, he said, adding that theartisans have to strive to get past the challenges as they are also themotivation for them to stay with this work.
While itmay not be as colourful as painting or as natural as pottery, thesilver making trade has its own charms, creating pure and beautifulworks of art that never grow old.-VNA
In memory of the famous silversmith QuachVan Truong, Dinh Cong village was once full of people producingsilverware. However, these days there are only two remaining familieskeeping this traditional craft alive.
Silver makinginvolves three techniques that sound deceptively simple: decoration,engraving and bending. The completed products are shiny, slender andhave a sophisticated beauty.
This traditional craftrequires artisans to do all the work painstakingly by hand. According toTruong, the silver used to create jewellery must be nearly pure toensure that the finished work will be hard and shiny enough.
“What this craft requires most is diligence. You have to work all dayjust to make a tiny flower. Without patience, you will not be able tolive with it,” Truong said.
It takes months tofinish a silver product. The quality is highest when patterns areattached evenly on the product and no welding marks can be seen.
“The creator of this jewelry must have very precise eyes and skilfulhands. We have the same kinds of products in Malaysia, but thesophistication is not this high. This is flawless and truly beautiful,”said Alex Teh, a Malaysian tourist.
In order topreserve the traditional craft, Truong makes sophisticated decorativeitems as well as jewellery. The talented hands of the silversmith createworks containing hundreds, even thousands of harmonious details.
Truong’s son, Quach Phan Tuan Anh, is also joining his father topreserve their family’s traditional profession. The young man holds twobachelor degrees but is determined to stay at home and maintain thequintessence of the silver carving village.
Thereis no limit for the level of difficulty, he said, adding that theartisans have to strive to get past the challenges as they are also themotivation for them to stay with this work.
While itmay not be as colourful as painting or as natural as pottery, thesilver making trade has its own charms, creating pure and beautifulworks of art that never grow old.-VNA
