FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Hmong skills that never fade

Hmong skills that never fade

In Laos, artisans are keeping age-old traditions alive

In prime position by the main entrance at the Vientiane venue hosting the Lao Handicraft Festival, a 40yearold Hmong woman named Xuang carefully sketched the outline of an animal on white cloth, keenly watched by visitors.
It was her third visit to the capital from Xieng Khuang, her home province, and again she was there to demonstrate the remarkable skills she began learning from her mother at the age of 13.
The annual festival was this year held from October 30 to November 3. 
Xuang’s talent had many people stopping to watch as she used a specially crafted tool to draw the distinctive shape of a deer. The stylus was a piece of whittled bamboo with a nib of bronze.
Before drawing, she dipped the stylus into a tin containing blackdyed wax, kept over hot charcoal to keep it soft. She then applied the wax to the cloth, using the rib bones of a cow to guide her hand and keep the lines straight.
A single image can take anywhere from two to 15 days, depending on the intricacy. She works to order, creating a wide variety of drawings commissioned by customers. “Everything must be done very carefully so that the customer is satisfied,” she said. 
Xuang finds the handicraft festival a good opportunity for rural artisans to display their work and make sales or take orders. 
Home for Xuang is the village of Phonsavanh in Nonghet district. She and four other members of her family work to preserve this traditional Hmong art form and, with 10 other people from the community, have set up a production group. The group has a contract with the nonprofit organisation Camacrafts in Vientiane to supply items to sell in its shop.
From the same artisans’ group, the always smiling Yeng, 26, was also present at the festival. She said the work was beneficial to the community because it not only provides income, it also keeps young people away from illicit drugs, and youngsters are always welcome to learn the skills.
Members of the group earn two million to three million kip a month each (Bt8,800 to Bt13,200), depending on their level of skill. They mainly make embroidered wallets, table runners and slings for carrying babies. A table runner costs just 17,000 kip (Bt75).
Having missed out on a formal education, Xuang decided to learn handicrafts to earn money. She also works on a sweetcorn farm, pocketing another 20 million to 30 million kip a year, and sews and sells Hmongstyle skirts, each requiring two weeks’ effort and commanding 200,000 kip. 
“I am very proud that my special skills have been handed down from generation to generation and brought recognition to my family,” she said, “as well as bringing in muchneeded extra income.” 
 
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