The Silver Handicrafts going with unique
excellent goods is named Dong Xam (Copper-Engraving Village),
a well-known and age-old centre for jewelry. When the main
product of Chau Khe (Hai Hung) is gold, Dinh Cong (Ha Noi)
is gold jewel but Dong Xam (Thai Binh) is expert in carving
silver.
Dong Xam Silver Handicrafts Village (the
old name is Duong Tham) is located in the right bank-side
of Dong Giang river in Hong Thai village, Kien Xuong district,
Thai Binh province. There are still a small pagoda and a stone
tablet in the area of Duong pagoda (present Thuong Gia Hamlet),
that is the tablet of ancestral work with the words, that
means: In the 10th year under the reign of Chinh Hoa (1689),
Nguyen Kim Lau, progenitor, is a gold and silver smith in
Chau Long. He went to Dong Xam region and set 12 guilds to
hand down profession.
Nguyen Kim Lau lived in round the early time of 17 century
so the silver-carving and copper-engraving Dong Xam is existed
for about 400 years. It started at first with the copper-welding,
tank-making, knife and scissors making, knock-repairing,
pottery-making... after that jewelry-making and becomes
expert in carving silver.
The same as the other superior handicrafts as cooper-casting,
metallurgy... as jewelry work gets high profits for worker
and demands complex technique so it is always kept as a
trade secret. So far, the technique is not exclusive but
some methods and arts are still esoteric. The Ancient Silver-Carving
Group forms a strict rule in Village regulation as follow:
The people handing down profession to the other area, the
person of other village or imitating to cheat other person,
losing prestige is punished heavily... or is caned in front
of the ancient worship house or has to be expunged in group.
The silver-carving Dong Xam is very different
and superior to the other; It has new style of cubic, style
of shape, well-decorated form and balance. The feature is
based on the way to use the dark and light of the light
reflection of silver material. The specific characteristic
of Dong Xam products is very skilled and perfect. It may
say the talent and caution of craftsman in Dong Xam Village
have met the demand of strict customers who are the most
well- informed art.
During the war of resistance against French
colonialists for 9 years (1946-1954), the silver carving
was brought to a standstill. Till the day of reformed Peace,
from 1945 up to now gold and silver production is rehabilitated
and developed. But under the system based on administrative
subsides products are negligible, monotonous and short of
creation. Till the innovation times, some years recently,
the silver-carving workman is fully "free Struggle"
in market mechanism. They do business themselves as small
trades, family models, direct exporters... new opportunity
is coming back to the Dong Xam person and the silver carving.
Most Dong Xam worker practice a profession
in village, many families is getting wealthier. Some worker,
mainly young workers go out to produce and train. At any
times, Dong Xam silver-carving worker always put the prestige
and talent at the first rank to keep their virtue, conscience
and the genius profession of Vietnam. So their products
still get the faith of customers, that is the truth, non-mixture,
non-carelessness.
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Dong Xam
Silver Handicrafts Association
Work Shop:
Le Loi, Kien Xuong, Thai Binh Province, Vietnam.
Email: Contact AT DongXam.com
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