Nghề tạc tượng thờ Sơn Đồng

Tóm tắt

This article presents the development of the practice of sculpting, and the current situation in Son Dong trade village. Although most workers in Son Dong do not know who the founder of their traditional sculpting process is, they still proceed with the traditional methods and maintain related customs. However, owing to shifts in production locations from the communities where the investors live to those where the workers live, and changes in  way of payment for labourers, in some traditional customs, such as ceremonies of wood chopping, transporting statues from the carpenter’s shop to the pagodas or temples, and related practices, have been diminishing. The statues made by the Son Dong workers are mostly the statues of Buddha, Holy Mother and Taoist figures. At present, the Son Dong workers specialize in production and providing materials. Therefore, they are gradually gaining prestige and becoming better known, as well as creating a stable market.