Using special tools, artisans meticulously carve silver using traditional manual methods.
According to Mr. Tran Chi Nhan, Deputy Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Hoang Su Phi district (Ha Giang province), the legend of the Nung ethnic group in Hoang Su Phi district tells that in the past, the Nung people were very rich and powerful, their lives were prosperous and happy. Suddenly one day, the Han king sent troops to invade the land and plunder the property of the Nung people. To protect the land, the young men gathered into armies to fight back. The enemy troops were cruel and sinister, they forced women to wear stone mortars on their backs, put silver needles in their heads, tied iron chains around their necks, put iron rings on their wrists... then forced them to do hard work to torture them in order to discourage the young men and make them surrender.
As the days passed, the weight of the stone mortar and iron chains made the women's backs bend, but they still remembered their husbands and children who were fighting the enemy, waiting for the day they would be rescued. Finally, the story of the loyalty of the Nung women made the Han king admire them, ordered his soldiers to remove the stone mortars and iron chains; ordered his soldiers to cut necklaces, iron chains, bracelets and smaller rings to wear around the necks of the Nung women; and at the same time withdrew his troops, ending the war with the Nung.
To let future generations know and remember the difficult days, Nung women wore skirts with large waistbands in the back and used necklaces, necklaces, bracelets... to wear on their bodies. Since then, Nung women have always worn jewelry to this day.
Products made from silver will be sold at the district fair.
According to Mr. Tran Chi Nhan, to create quality jewelry, artisans must search for and use raw materials such as silver and silver bars. With manual tools such as scissors, pliers, hammers, wooden bases, pots, scales, along with skillful hands and creativity, Nung ethnic artisans have crafted rings, bracelets, pendants, hairpins, silver buttons with sophisticated motifs and patterns, close to human life. They also believe that silver carving is very selective. One must be meticulous and patient to follow the profession, because all stages of making products require skill and perseverance to create delicate motifs.
Artisan Nung Van Hui, Po Ly Ngai commune, Hoang Su Phi district, Ha Giang province, shared that he learned the craft when he was very young and has been carving silver for more than 30 years. A silver jewelry product must go through many stages such as melting the silver, pouring it onto a tray, continuing to heat it to roll it thin, then using special tools to chisel and carve meticulously. After many stages, the carved silver bar will be bent, washed, and polished to create a perfect product. Currently, there are not many people in the area who know and practice silver carving, so he is passing on the craft to his son. Hopefully, future generations will continue to pass on and preserve the craft, preserving the cultural beauty of the Nung people.
Silver products of the Nung people are different and stand out from those in many other places because of their delicate motifs, diverse designs, and balance in the light and dark processing techniques thanks to the artisans' block-making techniques on silver material. Silver handicraft products are not only consumed in the Nung community in Hoang Su Phi but also sold on the market at quite high prices to bring income to silver artisans. With typical cultural, historical and scientific values, the silver carving profession of the Nung people in Po Ly Ngai and Nang Don communes was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage according to Decision No. 2972/QD-BVHTTDL, dated August 27, 2019 of the Ministry of Culture - Sports and Tourism.
According to NAM THAI (Tin Tuc Newspaper)
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