Non Nuoc stone carving village
Non Nuoc stone carving village was formed from the mid-17th century to the early 18th century. The founder of the craft was a native of Thanh Hoa, named Huynh Ba Quat, who brought the stone craft from Thanh Hoa to Da Nang. In the village today, there is still a temple of “Thach Nghe To Su”; the 6th day of the first lunar month every year is the death anniversary of the founder of Non Nuoc stone carving village.
In the past, not many people knew the stone carving profession, all the products were used to serve the daily life of local people such as: tombstones, agricultural tools, daily household items, etc. By the early 19th century, when the Nguyen Dynasty built many palaces and mausoleums, the stone craft here had the conditions to develop, the reputation of the craft village also increased, some skilled craftsmen were awarded the rank of Cuu Pham by the court, many craftsmen of the village were invited to work everywhere.
After having the stone, the stone sculptors will shape the product in its rough form. The process of making blanks is carried out according to a standard procedure such as: finding a flat surface to create a base, determining the standard point for shaping, sketching on paper, then drawing on the stone surface or printing directly on the stone. For difficult products with high artistic value, the craftsman must sketch and make blanks with clay first, and only when they meet the requirements will they officially make them. According to the sketch, the craftsman proceeds to carve the blank and shape the product.
After the blank is completed, the sculptor will make details to complete the product, such as: carving lines, decorating patterns, grinding, and polishing the product. For the craftsman, at this stage, the most important thing is carving lines and decorating. The detailed implementation stage demonstrates the stone carving technique and the golden hands of the craftsman. In addition to the general process for all products, each type of product has specific technical requirements.
To get a beautiful color for the product, sometimes the craftsman has to dye the stone with dyes combined with green tea leaves, brown shoe polish, indigo, etc. The secret to having a beautiful color depends on mixing the colors, creating the temperature and using the lightness and darkness of the color. The finished product needs to go through many stages, thanks to the talented and experienced hands of the craftsman.
Coming to Non Nuoc stone carving village, visitors will be immersed in the world of countless sculptures with many different shapes and colors such as: erotic statues of couples, with the bravery but no less romantic of the kings of the jungle; or the peace, freshness, purity of Bodhisattvas, Buddhas; small, pretty, transparent bracelets; hairpins with different shapes and sizes, etc.
All create a diverse, rich and unique stone village. The handicraft products of Non Nuoc stone village – Ngu Hanh Son are meaningful souvenirs of the famous landscape that have followed tourists to many places around the world.
Source: http://kenhdulichviet.vn