Traditional crafts

Peoples of Indochina have long been engaged in different types of crafts; only in Vietnam there are over a hundred of them. The most popular ones are blacksmithing, pottery, woodcarving, weaving, wicker-work, embroidery, jewelry. Clay is used to make kitchenware and dishes. Clay vessels used to keep rice, water, oil and other products are covered with glaze of various colors. Outside Indochina silver caskets and wicker objects from reed and bamboo are very famous. Dongshan drums - examples of the ancient art of metal processing and bronze making in Indochina - are also world famous. Among the Karen people the tradition of casting of such drums survived until the 20th century. One of the most outstanding phenomena in the art of the peoples of South-East Asia is wood processing, which is connected with lacquer painting. The technique of making lacquered objects was adopted from China: wicker or wooden base is covered with many layers of anacard rubber plants juice and then a drawing is applied on it. Of world fame is a monastery library Saunpakkad in Bangkok painted in lacquer – a work of 17th century unknown masters. Another traditional craft is decorative painting on wooden and leather objects as well as buffalo horn, ivory, leather and metal processing.

Silk threads. Myanmar. D. Shneerson, A . Gubanov. 2000		Noodles ladle. Vietnam. The Santi. A. I. Muhlinov. 1962		Sabre with sheath. Thailand. The Thai. 19th c.
Kris knife of flame-like shape with sheath. Thailand. The Thai.		Silk weaving. Myanmar. Shneerson D. Gubanov A.		Good straw hats are never enough in the heat. Myanmar. Shneerson D.
At weaver's loom. Myanmar. Shneerson D. Gubanov A.