Belarus museum to host exhibition on Vietnamese handicraft

HÀ NỘI — Traditional Vietnamese handicraft products will be displayed at an exhibition at the Belarus National History Museum in Minsk from June 11-18 as part of Vietnamese Culture Days.

Belarusians will have the chance to see handmade Vietnamese products such as silk, brocade and fine art handicraft and lacquer paintings. 

“Lacquer painting is a unique form of art, made in a few countries such as Việt Nam, Japan, South Korean, Myanmar and China,” said artist Phạm Hồng Phương. “Artists use resin from a kind of tree to lacquer many layers on a plywood board and then polish it.”

Lacquer paintings by Phương and artist Phạm Kim Mã will be displayed at the exhibition. 

Lacquerware by Hạ Thái Bamboo Lacquer Company in Thường Tín, Hà Nội, including vases, jewellery boxes, trays, photo frames and planters, will also be showcased.

Hạ Thái is one of the 12 villages in Việt Nam known as Chu Đậu and Bát Tràng pottery villages in the north, Phước Tích pottery village in central Huế province and Bàu Trúc pottery village in the southern province of Ninh Thuận. 

Products from Bát Tràng village will also be displayed at the exhibition. These include some 20 traditional exhibits with designs of dragon, phoenix and nature as well as daily utilities such as ceramic vases, bowls, cups and dishes made by artisans Lê Văn Thụ and Nguyễn Văn Lợi in a modern style. 

Also on display will be some 50 rattan-made products by artisans from Phú Vinh Rattan and Bamboo Village. The village in the southwest of Hà Nội is one of the famous traditional handicraft villages in the country. It was officially recognised as the traditional village of rattan and bamboo in 2002, although the village has been known for its handicraft for some 400 years. 

The exhibition is aimed at boosting cultural exchange and cooperation between Việt Nam and Belarus and is expected to help Belarusians better understand popular Vietnamese culture. — VNS