Preserving and Developing the Chuon Ngo Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Craft

The mother-of-pearl inlay craft of Chuon Ngo Village, Chuyen My Commune, Phu Xuyen District, Hanoi, has endured many ups and downs over the years. At times, it seemed close to vanishing, but thanks to the dedication of the village’s inlay artisans, this craft has been preserved and continues to thrive.

Artisans in Chuon Ngo Village are constantly innovating, creating increasingly intricate and skillfully crafted landscape paintings to meet customer requests. This adaptability has helped Chuon Ngo’s mother-of-pearl inlay craft maintain its strong reputation both domestically and internationally, even as it nears a thousand years of age, having weathered many historical shifts.

A Long-Standing Traditional Craft Village

According to legend and the historical records of Chuon Ngo’s communal house, the mother-of-pearl inlay craft began between the 11th and 16th centuries, established by Truong Cong Thanh, a skilled and respected general during the Ly Dynasty (1009–1225). Revered as the village’s patron of the craft, he is still honored at the communal house today.

Mother-of-pearl inlay is a meticulous, labor-intensive craft. To create an intricate and lifelike inlaid product, the artisan must go through numerous steps: sketching a design, cutting according to the template, adhering the cut pieces onto wood, carving along the outlines, affixing mother-of-pearl pieces, and then polishing them flat with a stone. The artisan uses a steel knife to carve out fine details, enhances the design with sandpaper, and finally applies varnish to give the entire piece a vibrant finish, making the motifs come alive like a painting.

According to some village artisans, the art of mother-of-pearl inlay dates back thousands of years. Inlay work is not simply about carving and assembling pieces in a fixed mold; it is a journey of artistry. To source the finest materials, villagers travel to various provinces in Vietnam to collect large shells and conches, and they also import from places like Hong Kong and Singapore. In the past, the artisans mainly crafted ancestral tablets, couplets for temples and pagodas, decorative motifs on traditional beds and cabinets, or wall art inspired by stories like The Three Kingdoms and classic themes such as the “Four Noble Plants” (pine, bamboo, chrysanthemum, and apricot).

Over time, as the craft has embraced new influences, the artisans of Chuon Ngo have enhanced their skills, creating more intricate and technically refined designs, including landscapes and portraits. This evolution has diversified the products of Chuyen My village, enabling them to meet domestic demand and expand into international markets such as the UK, Russia, the U.S., the Netherlands, and Japan.

A distinctive feature of Chuon Ngo’s mother-of-pearl inlay products is the flawless, smooth surface of the inlaid shell pieces, which fit tightly and seamlessly into the wood. Selecting the right type of shell for each piece is crucial. There are various types: thin, dark-colored shells; thick-shelled white meat clams; and Nong Cong shells from Thanh Hoa, known for their patterns. The seashells, often sourced from regions like Quy Nhon, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Nha Trang, and Phan Thiet, must be high-quality, specifically mother-of-pearl. There is also a special type of shell called Cu Khong (known as the nine-hole abalone shell due to its nine-edge holes), which displays a rich range of colors like a rainbow. Cu Khong is indispensable for relief work, such as mountains, phoenix feathers, or peacock tails, as it is harvested from specific islands in northern Vietnam.

Many people believe that Chuon Ngo is the “ancestral land of the craft,” endowed with an inexplicable, unique artistry evident in each creation. Many artisans from other places have come to the village to learn the trade; however, according to customer feedback, their skill level does not reach that of the “village artisans.” Each Chuon Ngo mother-of-pearl inlay product typically undergoes six essential steps: drawing the design; sawing the shells and conches based on the pattern; carving the wood; embedding the shell pieces into the wood; polishing and refining the details; and applying black powder to enhance the painting’s features.

One of the most challenging steps is “mother-of-pearl inlay” (can xa cu), which requires a high level of continuous skill. Following the design lines, the artisan carves the wood and secures the inlaid materials, then trims, polishes, and redefines the details. Additionally, to ensure the shell pieces lie flat on the wooden canvas, the artisan must manually grind the shells, then soak them in alcohol, and heat them to split and shape them for sawing and carving, so that the pieces do not crack.

Preservation and Development

After more than 1,000 years and many ups and downs, the mother-of-pearl inlay craft of Chuon Ngo Village seemed at risk of fading. However, dedicated generations of craftsmen have steadfastly held onto their trade. Today, Chuon Ngo Village has dozens of traditional mother-of-pearl inlay workshops, with a workforce of hundreds, primarily aged 30–50.

At times, this craft faced near extinction due to historical events and the passage of time. Yet, the enduring vitality of this traditional village has allowed it to persist, and today, Hanoi proudly boasts this refined craft village with unique products that are hard to find elsewhere. Over 70% of the households in the village are engaged in mother-of-pearl inlay work or service activities to support its development. Chuon Ngo’s mother-of-pearl inlaid products have transcended national borders and reached global markets, including challenging ones such as the UK, the Netherlands, the U.S., and Japan.

Portrait inlay is regarded as the pinnacle of inlay techniques. It requires the artisan to be a true “master craftsman,” skilled in both carving techniques and an understanding of the character being depicted. This enables them to transform lifeless materials into portraits that convey the subject’s style, essence, and depth of thought. As a result, the number of true “master craftsmen” in Chuon Ngo Village today is only a handful.

To preserve the ancestral craft, artisans here are not only striving to enhance their skills to produce more intricate and technically advanced pieces but are also constantly innovating with new ideas to meet evolving customer demands. In the past, inlay works mostly included plaques and couplets in ancestral halls, temples, and pagodas; decorative patterns on traditional beds and cabinets; and wall art inspired by classic tales like The Three Kingdoms or traditional scenes like The Four Seasons (Pine, Chrysanthemum, Bamboo, and Apricot) or The Return of Glory. Over time, Chuon Ngo Village’s works have gradually diversified in both subject matter and style. Mother-of-pearl inlay patterns now appear on a range of everyday items such as tea boxes, chopstick holders, bowls, plates, and souvenir paintings.

In Chuon Ngo Village, many artisans continue to preserve and develop the refined traditional mother-of-pearl inlay craft passed down by their ancestors. One of the young artisans in the village is Nguyen Thanh Tuan. Tuan has now spent over 20 years practicing this traditional inlay craft. He shares that to pursue this craft, one must have a deep passion and love for it. Particularly, the shell selection process is crucial and requires experience.

The most favored shells are golden-lipped pearl oysters, a species living in the sea with two color variations: white-lipped and golden-lipped. These shells are nearly round, flat on both sides and large, with a thick, iridescent layer of mother-of-pearl inside. “The materials needed to create a product aren’t difficult to source; rare materials can be purchased if you have the money. But experience is something that only comes with years of practice. Every artisan needs skills, a passion for creation, and years of learning to make a beautiful and satisfying piece,” Tuan explained.

Through many challenges, like other traditional crafts in Vietnam, the artisans of Chuon Ngo Village work tirelessly to preserve and elevate the essence of this craft. With calloused hands honed over the years and a burning love for their work, they continue to pass on traditional values tied to the thousand-year-old heritage of Thang Long, left by generations of artisans before them.

By Bao Dan, Vietnam Business Forum

The page in collaboration with Hanoi Rural Development Department