Taking a Shine to Mosaics Development in Vietnam

In the past, traders from both Vietnam and abroad previously paid attention to precious-stone mosaics made only by Thai craftsmen. Thai mosaics were dotted with a few precious stones and inlaid with oyster shells. In Vietnam, the director of Than Chau Ngoc Viet Company Dao Trong Cuong has a made a great contribution in taking a shine to mosaics and he is now considered father of Vietnam's gemstone painting industry. After Than Chau Ngoc Viet Exhibition held at Melia Hanoi in November 2002, visitors got a chance to Vietnamese mosaics were wholly made of rubies and naturally precious stones.

 

The mosaics came as a result of patience, perseverance, and the creativeness of artisans. According to artisan Dao Trong Cuong, it takes a lot of time to make a mosaic, requiring a wide range of tiny jobs such as selecting a suitable color of the rubies and arranging thousands of tiny but carefully selected and processed stones on composite surfaces. Each picture is made of thousands of tiny stones of different kinds and colors. It's worth noting that most of the stone pictures are based on folding paintings.

Having undergone various processes to become stone pictures, the soul of these folding paintings remains unchanged and even becomes much more appreciated with the shining colors of twinkling rubies. Artists at Than Chau Ngoc Viet Company also lively reproduce fold paintings made in Dong Ho Village such as Chan Trau (Tending Buffaloes), Thoi Sao (Fluting), Hoa Dao (Peach Blossom) Print, Hai Dua (Coconut Catching), Danh Ghen (Fighting out of Jealousy), Tung-cuc-truc-mai, Hoa sen (Lotus), Pho Co (Old Quarters), and Thap Nhi Tien Co… These features make Than Chau Ngoc Viet's mosaics more valuable than those available in the market.

Taking shines to mosaics has only officially been in Vietnam for the last three years. The pictures are not only an art form but also represent the diversity and richness of Vietnamese culture.