Seeing many discarded old tree stumps with strange shapes, people in a village in Hoa Binh brought them back to chisel and create unique works of art, selling them for hundreds of millions of dong.
Lam Son driftwood craft village (Luong Son district) has been famous in Hoa Binh for many years. Every year, thousands of driftwood sculptures are exported to the market here, made from old dead trees, or rotten, half-eaten termite stumps.
Elderly people here said that carpentry is not a long-standing traditional profession in the locality. In 1990, a few households in the commune saw many existing tree stumps with strange shapes, so they brought them home, cleaned them, carved them to their liking, and displayed them in their homes.
From here, the idea of sculpting and making works from tree stumps and driftwood appeared in a few households. Initially, people dug up dead tree stumps in the mountains and forests, chiseled them, created simple works and then sold them. Later, seeing that the profession had high value, many people followed suit and their skills gradually improved.
Mr. Bui Anh Quy – Vice Chairman of Lam Son Commune People’s Committee – shared that the craft of making driftwood has been present in the locality for about 30 years now. Currently in the commune there are many highly skilled artisans, creating works of great value, creating a brand for the craft village.
“For a long time, the craft of driftwood crafting has brought stable income to people in the commune. Currently, this craft is developing most strongly in Doan Ket hamlet with more than 40 households crafting and trading. The craft village is developing rapidly. I have a stable income, and the number of skilled workers has also increased to more than 100 people,” Mr. Quy said.
Mr. Cuong, the owner of a factory, said that since he was a child, he has seen his grandparents, parents and every school in the neighborhood chiseling to create unique works from lifeless tree stumps and logs.
“After finishing high school, I asked my parents to learn this profession and have been working until now. I love the profession, so I hope to create more works with the unique beauty of driftwood,” he said. Cuong confided.
The young man added that, unlike regular wooden statues, each driftwood product is different because of its natural beauty. Driftwood is the root core of old trees that have died, the surrounding area is eaten by termites, but the core of the tree is very hard.
“From the core of the tree, according to the available shape, the craftsman will create works such as: God of Wealth, Master Bodhisattva, mascots, animals, trees, birds, etc. It looks beautiful, the wood is never damaged, so it has very high aesthetic and economic value,” Mr. Cuong revealed.
Driftwood products made by Lam Son craft villagers are usually worth from a few million (small products) to several tens of million VND. In particular, there are works that sell for up to several hundred million VND.
“The work has a high value of hundreds of millions of dong thanks to the strange and special shape of the driftwood and wood,” Mr. Cuong added.
Mr. Thanh – who participates in making driftwood – said that to create a complete piece of driftwood, one must go through many stages. From the original tree stump or piece of driftwood, the craftsman will come up with an idea, then draw a sketch on paper, attach it to the actual wood material, and then proceed to drill, chisel, and grind to create a satisfactory work.
“A craftsman doesn’t just need to be talented or skilled. To create a work that you like, you must have a special love for the craft. When making a work, it’s like giving it soul, from a lifeless piece of wood it becomes soulful.” more and more lively, then it will attract viewers, enjoy it and then dare to spend money to buy it for display,” Mr. Thanh confided.
At Lam Son driftwood craft village, all stages require workers with appropriate skills. Highly skilled people create high-quality works with an income of tens of millions of dong per month.
On the contrary, those who are new to vocational training and working in a general direction do simple tasks and have a stable income, with wages ranging from 300,000-500,000/day.
Vice Chairman of Lam Son Commune People’s Committee added that since 2017 the craft village has been recognized and decided to establish by the Provincial People’s Committee. In the coming time, the local government has also planned to develop concentrated production and product display areas for people to further develop their profession, helping to develop the local economy.
($1=24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet (Vinlove.net)