"Live healthily" with traditional Vietnamese toys (tò he).
Through a friend's recommendation, in 1994, Mr. Vu Van Chien decided to move to An Khe with his wife and children to start a new life. His family currently resides in Group 13, An Phu Ward. Speaking of his hometown, Mr. Chien proudly stated: Xuan La is a traditional toy-making village with a history of over 400 years. Since childhood, he accompanied his father to various festivals in the village and surrounding areas to make toys. Back then, the leftover dough his father discarded after completing a product became the raw material for young Chien to experiment with and learn to make toys.
With his intelligence and skillful hands, by the age of 12, Mr. Chien had mastered the art of making clay figurines and was the only one in his family of five brothers to follow the traditional craft of his ancestors.
“Making clay figurines is considered an art form. Besides dedication to the craft, the artisan must have an aesthetic sense and creativity to create products with soul, harmonious composition, and eye-catching colors. In addition, constantly updating designs is also necessary to meet the needs of all customer segments. Only then can the traditional craft of our ancestors survive and develop,” Mr. Chien shared.
Having passed the age of seventy and suffering from diabetes for many years, Mr. Chien's health is declining; his eyesight is failing, and his steps are slow. Yet, his skillful hands still nimbly knead dough, mix colors, and shape it into lively and eye-catching animals, flowers, and cartoon characters.
The ingredients for making tò he (traditional Vietnamese figurines made from glutinous rice flour mixed with regular rice flour, with a little water added in the appropriate ratio, then mixed well and boiled until cooked. The finished dough is allowed to cool, cut into small pieces, and dyed with colors extracted from natural roots, fruits, and leaves.
For example, red comes from gac fruit and gardenia; black from solanum nigrum and bamboo charcoal; yellow from turmeric; and green from betel leaves and galangal leaves.
Before shaping, the artisan must rub their palms through a mixture of beef fat and beeswax to prevent sticking and give the clay figurines a beautiful shine. “In recent years, our family has also used modeling clay to make these figurines. Although modeling clay has poor adhesion, its colors are vibrant, durable, and don't get moldy over time; while rice flour is pliable and has good adhesion, but when the product dries, it tends to crack and break easily,” Mr. Chien explained.
Sitting and helping her husband make clay figurines, Mrs. Dang Thi Ich added: "Clay figurines, also known as dough animal figures, are a type of folk toy for Vietnamese children and are considered works of art that are attractive to everyone. My husband and I often make and sell clay figurines at the market, school gates, and participate in clay figurine making demonstrations at some kindergartens and primary schools in the town."
During holidays and festivals, the couple also sell clay figurines at local markets and festivals. Each figurine costs 20,000 dong. "Thanks to making clay figurines, my husband and I have raised five children to be successful adults. And most importantly, we feel proud to have contributed to preserving our ancestors' traditional craft in our new homeland," Mrs. Ich happily said.
Regarding the craft of making clay figurines, Mr. Chien said that although this profession doesn't bring wealth, it helps the people of Xuan La village have a more comfortable life. Many artisans, like him, have spread to provinces and cities throughout the country to practice making clay figurines and still remain dedicated to the craft.
Breaking village customs to preserve the craft.
For hundreds of years, the villagers of Xuan La have only passed down the craft of making tò he (traditional Vietnamese figurines made from rice flour) to their sons and daughters-in-law. However, to prevent his traditional craft from fading away, Mr. Chien decided to break with village custom and pass on the techniques of sculpting, shaping tò he, and mixing the dough and colors to his son-in-law, Dang Dinh Dong, who currently lives in Long Thanh town, Long Thanh district, Dong Nai province, and is also a son of Xuan La village.
Like many children in Xuan La village, clay figurines (tò he) were a toy closely associated with Dong's childhood. Previously, not intending to follow in his ancestors' footsteps, he learned the craft of making quilts. After getting married, seeing his father-in-law create such vivid and beautiful clay figurines, and the way he cherished the craft, ignited in him a love for and desire to be involved with clay figurine making.
“In the beginning, I struggled with the dough, finding it very difficult to mold even a single flower. My father-in-law encouraged me and taught me diligently. After three months of persistent learning, I mastered molding the 12 zodiac animals and helped my father-in-law create and sell clay figurines at various cultural events and festivals in Gia Lai and Binh Dinh provinces,” Mr. Dong recounted.
In 2022, after honing his skills, Mr. Dong moved to Dong Nai to start his own business and develop the traditional tò he (traditional Vietnamese toy figurines) craft, which he continues to this day. His tools include bamboo sticks, a plastic comb, a box of beeswax, and a styrofoam container for displaying his finished tò he products. Mr. Dong visits tourist spots and school gates to promote, introduce, and sell his tò he products.
"I not only sculpt dragons, buffaloes, pigs, chickens, succulents, or models of ethnic minorities like stilt houses and communal houses, but I can also sculpt many cartoon characters such as: Doraemon, Pikachu, Tom the cat, Jerry the mouse, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Buurin (the pig knight), Superman, Disney princesses with long hair, Elsa, Anna..."
"So both adults and children gather around to admire and eagerly anticipate each product. At times like that, I feel so happy and joyful!" - Mr. Dong emotionally revealed.
Word spread, and several primary and kindergarten schools in Dong Nai province invited Mr. Dong to perform clay figurine making demonstrations, giving students the opportunity to learn about and become familiar with traditional toys, contributing to nurturing the children's souls.
In addition, to spread the traditional craft, Mr. Dong actively participates in cultural events, festivals, fairs, and exhibitions to promote the beauty of the clay figurine making craft, attracting a large number of domestic and international tourists to experience and learn about it.
"I have shared my experience and clay figurine-making skills with many young people who want to learn and research. I hope to spread the knowledge and find someone who is destined to be involved in this craft," Mr. Dong confided.
Having a passion for clay figurines and being taught the craft by her maternal grandfather, Vu Van Chien, young Pham Thi Huyen My (born in 2002, residing in Group 13, An Phu Ward, An Khe Town) has learned to sculpt several animals and flowers. My excitedly shared: “My grandfather taught me the basic steps to create a beautiful clay figurine. First, I knead the dough, pinch it, and roll it in my palm. Next, I roll the dough around a bamboo stick and sculpt the larger shapes first, then add smaller details and patterns, working from bottom to top. I am very happy to be able to sculpt these cute and beautiful clay figurines myself. When I show these products to my friends, everyone is delighted.”
Looking at the clay figurines made by his granddaughter, Mr. Chien happily said: "I believe that more and more young people and children will love clay figurines. As long as people are interested in them, the craft of making clay figurines will have the opportunity to be maintained and developed."
The guardian of the "soul" of the traditional clay figurine making craft.
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/giu-lua-to-he-บน-que-huong-moi-post317531.html
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