Persistently keeping the profession

The crystallization of the creative labor process and a life close to nature, the diverse hand-woven products of the Muong people not only serve the needs of life but also contain many traditional cultural features. However, following the flow of modern life, traditional weaving products are gradually disappearing, and there are now very few Muong people who are proficient in weaving...

Mr. Mai uses needles to weave the net part of the fishing basket.

Since ancient times, when the life of the Muong people mainly depended on the mountains, forests, and fields and was self-sufficient, the weaving profession appeared and gradually became popular. Taking advantage of natural materials from bamboo, rattan, rattan... with the traditional weaving technique “from father to son,” from simple to complex and elaborate, Muong people can produce a variety of items, from household items and decorations to means of production such as bamboo baskets, rice containers, mats, baskets, winnowing trays, trays, trays, etc. The woven items are often hung in the kitchen to dry, absorb smoke, and soot until they are shiny black. Although simple, the woven products of the Muong people are convenient, durable, water-resistant, termite-proof, environmentally friendly, can be used for many years without being damaged, not only serving household chores but also being sold and exchanged for other products, helping to increase family income. Having been involved in the craft of weaving, which was passed down from his father at a young age, now at the age of 84, Mr. Hoang Xuan Mai in Ban 1 area, Vo Mieu commune, Thanh Son district, still persistently maintains the traditional craft of his people. He often sits diligently weaving fish nets—an item commonly used by Muong people in the past and today to catch shrimp and fish in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams to earn more food and improve family meals. The fish net has a small mesh bag-shaped mesh, a round bottom, a wide mouth, and a long handle bent into an oval shape. This handle is made from the trunk of the heo tree—a type of areca tree with a flexible trunk. After being cut down, it is heated over a fire to bend and create a frame for the fish net. Mr. Mai’s wrinkled, calloused but skillful hands hold the small strings on his feet and then use his hands to twist them into larger strings. As he spun the rope, he rolled it into bundles to save for weaving. In the past, the Muong people often took the rope from the bark of trees growing in the forest to weave the fish traps. Now, this rope is often used with ropes taken from good-quality rice sacks, with the advantages of being durable, flexible, and not damaged even after being soaked in water for a long time. Holding a needle made of buffalo horn, Mr. Mai meticulously and quickly wove the twisted ropes into a mesh of small, even meshes.

“To make a beautiful and durable handicraft, the weaver must have good techniques, especially the meshes must be even. Weaving, no matter what material is used, requires meticulousness, carefulness, and diligence. If you are not persistent, it will be difficult to do it and difficult to stick with the weaving profession for a long time,” Mr. Mai confided.

The completed fish scoop is used by the Muong people to catch shrimp and fish in ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, etc.

Although he is an experienced person who knows well the weaving techniques, Mr. Mai still takes 2-3 days to complete a fish scoop. Each month, he makes about 15 of them; each one is durable and sturdy, so it is favored by the people in the area, and as soon as it is finished, it is ordered. Nowadays, the life of the Muong people is increasingly developing, and ready-made industrial products are constantly “imported” into every kitchen and every Muong family. Moreover, despite his old age, weak health, and low income from the job, Mr. Hoang Xuan Mai still has a love for the weaving profession of his father and works hard every day to preserve and promote the traditional profession to continue the beauty from ancient times to the present.

Cam Nhung