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Good morning, Vietnam
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Indulge in lacquer and bamboo to lift your meal to a whole new plane
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THERE IS something about trays - they speak of a genteel time, a time of elevenses, when one could sit down to tea and finely sliced sandwiches.
While we cannot stop the world and get off, we can snatch a feel of this earlier time at the Vietnam Craft Exhibition at Fab India (Road # 9, Banjara Hills). The focus according to store manager, Vaneeta Bhattacharya, is on "hand-crafted pressed bamboo and lacquer ware."
There is a whole range of tableware - from the absolutely divine trays to dinky little nut bowls, plates, coasters and vases, designed to turn your table into a work of art. Available in natural, eggshell, metallic and snakeskin finish, they are wonderful gift options as well. The album with lacquer cover is a must-have. The lacquer used is made from the Son tree and is non-toxic and all the items are safe to store food in.
The process
Uniform strips of bamboo are passed through a mechanical press to curl them. A mixture of glue and paint is then applied. A round outer frame of bamboo is made and each strip of bamboo is then covered on one side with adhesive and coiled inside the frame. The process is repeated till the frame is covered.
After being left to dry for a week, the item is sandpapered then lacquered. On an average 11 to 13 layers are applied and each layer has to be dried thoroughly (for a week).
While lacquer items have been found in graves dating back to the fourth century BC, using lacquer for decoration is credited to a Vietnamese mandarin in the 15th century who observed Chinese villagers creating art objects in lacquer.
Hand-made lacquer vessels undergo 26 different processes and can take up to three months to make. Traditional lacquer products were typically red (the colour of happiness) and gold (the colour of royalty). Colour came courtesy fruit, soil and eggshells.
So if you invest in tableware from Vietnam, not only do you have a great looking table, but some great dinner conversation as well!
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
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