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The makers

The hands behind the work

Every work on LangSoul is signed by one of these people, in a workshop we have sat in. Most learned from a parent; several are teaching a child. We name them on every page, because a work without its maker is only an object.

11 artisans · 8 villages

Rattan & bamboo weaving · Mây tre đan

Phú Vinh

The village
Portrait of Nguyễn Thị Lan, rattan weaver in her fifties, seated in a sunlit doorway in Phú Vinh with a half-woven basket in her lap, fourth generation of the family trade

Nguyễn Thị Lan

Rattan weaver

Portrait of Trần Thị Mai, rattan weaver in her sixties, at a weaving frame in a Phú Vinh courtyard, cane across her knees, calm direct gaze, third generation of the family trade

Trần Thị Mai

Rattan weaver

Ceramics & porcelain · Gốm sứ

Bát Tràng

The village
Portrait of Phạm Văn Đức, sixth-generation potter in his fifties, standing at the open brick kiln door in Bát Tràng, clay on his forearms, sixth generation of the family trade

Phạm Văn Đức

Potter

Bronze casting & chasing · Đúc đồng

Đại Bái

The village
Portrait of Nguyễn Văn Sơn, bronze caster in his fifties, in the Đại Bái foundry at dawn, soot on his face, moulds and charcoal glow behind, seventh generation of the family trade

Nguyễn Văn Sơn

Bronze caster

Silver & gold filigree · Kim hoàn

Định Công

The village
Portrait of Đinh Văn Hùng, silversmith in his forties, bent over the jeweller's bench in Định Công with a loupe and a coil of silver wire, third generation of the family trade

Đinh Văn Hùng

Silversmith

Natural lacquer · Sơn mài

Hạ Thái

The village
Portrait of Nguyễn Văn Thái, lacquer master in his sixties, seated at the polishing bench in Hạ Thái, hands resting on a black lacquer board, looking slightly past the camera, third generation of the family trade

Nguyễn Văn Thái

Lacquer master

Portrait of Đỗ Thị Hương, eggshell-inlay artisan in her forties, at a tray of sorted duck eggshell in the Hạ Thái workshop, tweezers in hand, looking up, second generation of the family trade

Đỗ Thị Hương

Eggshell inlay

Portrait of Trần Quang Minh, gilder in his thirties, standing beside a tall lacquer screen panel in the Hạ Thái workshop, gold-leaf book in hand, fourth generation of the family trade

Trần Quang Minh

Gilding

Carved hardwood · Gỗ mỹ nghệ

Đồng Kỵ

The village
Portrait of the Đồng Kỵ family workshop: three carvers and joiners of different ages standing together in the timber yard among stacked ironwood, family workshop of the family trade

Đồng Kỵ workshop

Carvers & joiners

Hand-loomed silk · Lụa

Vạn Phúc

The village
Portrait of the Vạn Phúc family workshop: two weavers at a wooden hand loom in window light, wine-red silk on the beam, family workshop of the family trade

Vạn Phúc workshop

Hand-loom weavers

Hand embroidery · Thêu tay

Quất Động

The village
Portrait of Lê Thị Hoa, embroiderer in her forties, seated at an embroidery frame by a window in Quất Động, morning light on silk thread, fifth generation of the family trade

Lê Thị Hoa

Embroiderer

Commission

Most of them take a few commissions a year

A panel to a size, a set of bowls for a long table, a screen for a particular light. Tell us what the room needs and we will say which artisan we would ask, and why.

Start a commission

How we choose

“We would rather carry forty works a year that we can stand behind than four hundred we cannot name.”

The house