| Some products of Long Thuong bronze casting village. – Photo: VOV |
Not as bustling as Dai Bai village, not as famous as Ngu Xa village, Long Thuong bronze casting products have their own stamp and voice. In the 1990s, Dai Dong commune had 4 bronze casting villages, including: Van O, Xuan Phao, Long Thuong, and Bung Dong. However, Long Thuong village workers are more skilled and still keep the job to this day.
Mr. Duong Van Tap, a craftsman from Long Thuong village, said: “I do this profession from father to son. When I was 10 years old, I learned my father’s craft, the baby details I knew how to do. Almost the whole village has a job, people run coal, people burn copper, people do cold work, the house is cast. The first stage to create a model to create a statue, I put the mold in to get that image. This is the most difficult step in the process of making a bronze statue. Fine art statues require enthusiastic workers, how to inspire. The statue is spiritual, so when we have the heart to enter, the statue can show the joyful and beautiful spirit.”
| Melt the copper before pouring it into the mold. – Photo: VOV |
Previously, Long Thuong village specialized in casting statues, crests, bells, now the villagers mainly produce worship items such as crests, cranes, flowerpots, incense burners, candlesticks, lamps, trays, incense bowls… Casting tools copper includes: pan, furnace, mold. In addition, there are a number of other specialized tools such as crockery pieces to fix molds, water pots, iron chisels, copper spoons, files, hacksaws… Each product made requires technique, meticulousness and even care. patience and passion for the profession.
Mr. Duong Van Long, a craftsman in the village, said: “You really have to love your job and be wholehearted about it, then you will have a soul when making copper products. Carefully do the new lines and patterns at your own discretion. Soil materials have 2 types of rice husk soil and mud soil mixed with burned rice husk soil and chopped into small pieces to make. The outside of the mold is made of rice husk soil, which prevents it from cracking. When kneading the soil, you have to be very careful, otherwise the product will not be beautiful.”
A good bronze casting worker must master 5 techniques including: shaping; making molds for casting into bronze; preparing, cooking copper and pouring copper; engraving station on the product surface; Finally polishing. Among the products of Long Thuong village, making worshiping statues is the most laborious. If you don’t have high skills and artistic thinking, you can’t do it.
| The works of worship are extremely sophisticated. – Photo: VOV |
Pointing to the statues being made, Mr. Duong Viet Bach, a skilled craftsman in the village, introduced: “These are the products of my heart. The statues are cast in brass and have an antique imitation color which is very popular in the market today. This bronze with this color feels like it is 50 to 70 years old, but it only took 1 week for me to process it. With the knowledge I have learned plus my understanding of traditional crafts, I apply new technology to make such a color.”
Bronze casting is difficult, but the villagers of Long Thuong always try to overcome to keep the job. Duong Van Vien, said: “In addition to traditional values, the successor must promote the profession. In the future development will always have competition, difficulties but competition makes development better. Traditional bronze casting is also a cultural feature.”
Today, Long Thuong village has been expanded in production and industrialized. The production households have joined together to establish separate production wards according to each stage and type of item, such as: tray making workshop, potting workshop, worshiping casting workshop, statue casting workshop….
Thanks to the complete organization of a production line, the village’s bronze casting is growing day by day. Products of Long Thuong village have a strong foothold in the market. The class of young artisans and workers in the village have preserved and promoted the quintessence of the forefathers’ generations.