DETAILS
- Made of handwoven hemp
- Hmong batik pattern
- Cotton wad is inserted between the 2 layers of the purse.
- 20 x 10,5cm (7.87x 4.13 inches)
THE PROCESS
Natural Hemp Production
Weaving hemp fabric is a labour-intensive process. The harvest occurs between April and October. Once the plants have been cut, the stems are laid along the ground for several weeks so the fibres are exposed. These must then be hand-wound to create a continuous yarn for weaving. The yarn is washed in ash and boiling water, which acts as a natural bleaching-agent, then crushed by foot-mill to produce a shiny and smooth finish. The complete textile is then woven manually on a wooden and bamboo loom. The end result is a highly durable, hypo-allergenic material has been produced without the chemical treatment required by other plant materials.
Botanical Indigo
Today, nearly all indigo dye is produced synthetically on a mass-scale. The Hmong of Northern Vietnam, however, still concoct the pigment manually from locally grown indigo plants. The colour is pressed from the leaves and fermented, before being mixed with lime and various natural additions to make the resultant paste soluble. The mixture is oxidised, then combined with ash water, fruit sugars and rice whiskey to aid with a second fermentation. Once this is complete, the dye is ready for use. Depending on how dark the artisan wants to make the material, repeated dyeing and drying may be required.
Please Note: Every item is one of a kind and no two are alike. The dyed palette comes from all-natural botanical pigments, and each product gets its unique character from washing and drying under the Vietnamese sun. Handmade items are not factory made; therefore these items may have minor imperfections that add to their vintage charm.
( Source: Viethnic)
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.