Download Sunset Dragonfly Paperweight

Sunset Dragonfly Paperweight
The Product
Goldfish, Butterfly, and Dragonfly Paperweights:
The creation of these best-selling paperweights is no
small task – it is an intricate multi-step process that
can take up to one and a half months to finish! First,
people collect natural stones of differing shapes from
the local river and then bring them to a small
workshop in Ho Chi Minh City where nearly 30
artisans are employed. Here, artisans coat the stones
with a natural black lacquer made from cashew nut
oil, which makes the stones darker and smoother. After the lacquer has dried –
which can take up to 4 days – artisans begin applying coats of a lacquer and
iron oxide mixture. Each layer can take up to one week to dry, making this an
extremely long process. The stones are then rubbed down, leaving the surface
very smooth and even. An additional 4 coats of lacquer are applied.
Once dry, the stone is rubbed down again and the goldfish, butterfly, or
dragonfly design is outlined onto the rock. Artisans carefully add lacquer to
the inside of the outline and then place a thin, rectangular sheet of silver foil
over the pattern – the sticky lacquer serves as an adhesive to bind the foil to
the stone. The excess foil is then brushed away, leaving only the silver shape
of the intended design. Using fine strokes, artisans then apply details for eyes,
fins, and wings with black paint; body colour with pink paint; and sweeping
fins, highlights, and background images with silver-coloured paint.
When the details of each design are completed, artisans apply two more layers
of black lacquer over the entire rock and then polish the piece underwater until
the design emerges through the smooth, lacquer finish. The combination of
silver foil and the thin layer of black lacquer produces the characteristic,
iridescent orange and red tones of the goldfish, butterfly, and dragonfly
designs. Once they have been thoroughly polished, artisans rub the stones with
a fine, natural clay as a finishing touch to produce a high shine.
The Artisan Group: MAI Vietnamese Handicrafts
Mai Handicrafts is a non-profit organization founded in 1991 by two social
workers concerned by the plight of street children in Ho Chi Minh City. At the
time, schooling was only available to those who held legal papers and could
Let these shimmering dragonflies
hold down your work in style!
Created from natural river rock,
each is sealed with sap, coated
with black lacquer, etched with
foil, painted and then polished
underwater to create lustre. A
perfect splash of sunset colour.
Travel the world with each visit
to Ten Thousand Villages.
Learn how Fair Trade really
makes a difference. Our goal is to
provide vital, fair income to
artisans by marketing their
handicrafts and telling their
stories in North America. Ten
Thousand Villages sells product
from more than 30 countries,
providing work for nearly 60,000
people around the world.
afford the tuition fees. Street children, meeting neither of these requirements, were therefore
excluded. Mai Handicrafts gave work to youth and provided them with informal literacy classes.
Now that schooling is free for all children in Vietnam, Mai Handicrafts has expanded their mandate
to provide work for the poor and marginalized, including women and ethnic minority groups.
Today, Mai Handicrafts works with 1,669 artisans in 26 producer groups – 90 percent of whom are
women. The group runs several craft production projects and markets the work of numerous other
craft producers. During recent years, Mai has established itself as the primary marketing agent for
artisans from neglected families and women. It practices a model of social development in which
social service cannot be separated from economic self-reliance.
Mai Handicrafts’ artisans receive social and health care insurance benefits and can apply for scholarship funds. The
organization's sales fund various community development activities – chosen based on groups' needs – including clean water
projects, vocational training, equipment purchases and teacher wage subsidies. Mai has also responded to environmental
concerns by collecting waste material for recycling – some of which is utilized in the creation of new products. Looking for
ways to employ as many people as possible, Mai also hires young women to work after school cutting and forming boxes
rather than buying ready-made packaging materials.
The Country: Vietnam
Vietnam – the most populous country in mainland Southeast Asia – offers both sublime beauty and traditional charm.
Remarkable landscapes and a relaxed atmosphere indicate little of the country's long and troubled history of occupation and
war.
Over the past 30 years, Vietnam has faced the challenges of recovering from not only the lasting effects of conflict, but also
the rigidities of a centrally-planned economy. Since 1986, considerable progress has been made as the Communist Party of
Vietnam has begun introducing market elements as part of a broad economic reform package called doi moi (“renovation”).
These changes have dramatically transformed the country: over the last ten years, GDP has more than doubled and inflation
has come to low single-digit figures.
To keep up with the country’s rapid rate of population growth, Vietnam has also been working to promote job creation. Rural
unemployment, however, is estimated at 35% during non-harvest periods and urban unemployment has risen steadily as
people migrate to the cities in search of work. Alternative sources of income are critical in a society where roughly 65% of
the labour force works in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
Vietnam continues to experience positive dynamic change as it strives to become an industrialized nation by 2020. Despite its
poverty, it is a land of youthful hope and bustling enterprise. The economy is growing and trade is increasing. Rich in history,
culture and natural beauty, Vietnam is also becoming a major tourist destination.