Traditional Vietnamese Dyeing

Abstract

This section presents the results of interviews conducted on traditional dyeing, mainly in rural areas of Vietnam. It was found that in the past, dyeing in Vietnam was done using known plants. In the northern village of Duong Lam, cou nau was used to reproduce the dyeing of cotton cloth. Dyeing with cu nau involves exposing the surface of the cloth to sunlight to produce a darker surface, with a lighter colour on the reverse. In Tanchau, in the south, we also studied how mac nua is dyed in a factory. The cloth is silk, and the mac nua is applied to it until it is twice the weight of the cloth, and then the surface is beaten to a shiny finish, giving it a tanned leather-like texture. These were all methods of dyeing the cloth darker by repeatedly immersing it in a solution of grated plant matter in water and exposing it to the sun, without heating it during the dyeing process. Mud is also used to achieve a black colour. These fabrics were tested for properties and colourfastness.

graphical abstract