Dó Paper - Poonah
PAPER, A VEHICLE FOR RECORDING AND REMEMBERING, A POWERFUL MEDIUM FOR EXPRESSION, STAINED WITH INK AND TEARS, FROM PAINTINGS TO WRITTEN WORDS. A SIMPLE ITEM THAT IS BRILLIANT IN ITS CREATION, TRANSCENDING FROM AN OBJECT TO THE CORNERSTONE OF A CIVILISATION.
Paper - stained with ink and tears.
With the advent of technology, the ancient art of making paper is being forgotten. We are privileged to rediscover this long lost art, seek the deeper meaning of this craft and unveil the beauty of this process.
The spread of ideas, literature and even literacy was possible because of paper. First invented by the Chinese in the Han dynasty, paper slowly made its way to other parts of the world.
In Vietnam, poonah paper, also known as Dó in Vietnamese, first made its appearance in the 13th century. Made from the Dó tree bark (Rhamnoneuron balansae), a tree that can be found in the northern region of the country, this paper is renowned for being very durable, resilient with a subtle texture that is both thick and soft.
Traditionally Dó paper did not come in many colours. The common dark yellow paper was used for writing royal decrees and recording history. A similar dark brown paper was ideal for calligraphy. Generally the Dó paper was mainly used in Vietnam as a canvas for folk art.
Poonah paper is notably used by the Mong ethnic people on special occasions like death anniversaries, Lunar New Year and during other important ceremonies. The paper could be used as a form of decoration in houses or at altars. It can even be made into votive paper to be burnt for certain rituals. To this ethnic minority tribe, poonah paper takes on a sentimental value. It represents a type of connection between the living and the dead and is a nostalgic way of reminding the younger generations of their roots.
The Dó tree is a highly cellulose tree indigenously found in northern Vietnam and China’s Yunnan province. In the past, the fresh tree bark had to be soaked in limewater for over three months until it is soft enough to be separated to form the pulp. Today, papermakers have succeeded in reducing this preparation time to just a day.
The soaked tree bark has to be steamed for four days before it is ready for the next stage. In rural villages in Vietnam, people used to build stoves along the river to utilise the fresh water for making paper. Such was the reliance of people on nature, something which you can still catch a glimpse of if you venture deep into the green heart of Vietnam in the north. (Click here to sign up to the tour)
The wet pulp is then pounded flat and smooth, and layered to form sheets of paper that are dried on a wooden-framed screen, under the sun for weeks, until the paper is crisp and sturdy. Skills and strength are required to produce paper of exceptional quality. The end result is rustic yet beautifully soft paper on which ink does not run or smudge. Dó paper is also highly resistant to humidity and is acid-free, hence attracting lesser termites. Once the paper is made, it can be dyed naturally, using parts of plants, from flowers to leaves. Given its texture and robustness, modern day designers have found new purposes for the Dó paper, from binding into notebooks to creating lamps and even vases.
Dó paper-making is painstakingly laborious and this ancestral technique is on the verge of being forgotten. The old craftsmen guarded the secrets of making paper and ended up taking the knowledge to their graves. Just as paper is a way for people to keep their stories and memories alive, it is during such time of crisis that the younger artisans in Vietnam are finding the passion to revive this unique art of paper-making, preventing this precious knowledge from being lost in time.
We will be partnering up with Zó Projects, a social enterprise business based in Hanoi, which preserves, supports and expands Vietnamese traditional paper and the ancient technique to produce products sustainably.
Are you interested in discovering other ancestral crafts and textile knowledge? We are leading our TextileSeekers tribe to Vietnam and would love to have you join us.