MỸ A BLACK SILK

THE TRADITIONAL FABRIC FROM MEKONG DELTA

Can say that, " Mỹ A" Black Silk is a unique fabric in Vietnam because it is made from natural ingredients associated with a land area in Mekong Delta.

The beautyful Mekong Delta

Why called "Mỹ A" Black Silk?

The years 30-40 of the last century, along the Tien River immense berries, all the land of silkworm rearing, reeling, weaving about four inches size, called the size of Cam Tu with only 0.4 m wide when tailoring connected to the fabric (called pants ancient terra-cotta), this small frame loom weaving brocade Cham Chau Phong Commune of Tan Chau, specialized woven cloths, "guy" (also known as common bandanna in the Mekong River Delta in the past) As for why the "Mỹ" Consulate called A, via learn from older craftsmen remaining in the profession has not been the answer is xac.

Tiec My dad and workmen weaving, dyeing "Mỹ A" black silk from the early days were no longer should the origin of this name till now remains a mystery! Need to say more as silk weavers finished cut into long passages about 20,7m- 20,8m called Tree (or silk) Silk Trans and was delivered to the oven dyes to dye processed fruit Even with obsolescent.

Silk silk Xuyen after staining with plastic fruit Wear finished product done likewise called "Mỹ A" black silk shiny very durable, as even more beautiful and never faded. We know that the Consulate or silk are also the names of textile fabrics from silk yarn natural origin, but there is a particular person or people weaving art in the "Tân Châu" we are known as "Mỹ A" silk , while other parts are known as the New Silk or Mỹ A Black Silk!

An Artisan is  called Ut Sua said Tam Lang are ancient Cambodian people dyers dye left by even thereto but perhaps due to the quality of silk and dye job they do not develop the quality of goods and products made can not compete with American Consulate A New European Binzhou whether apprentice mechanic left Even dyed with obsolescent from Cambodia! 

In his heyday, is not only famous in the country, "Mỹ A" black silk still maneuver around three Indochinese countries and exported to France, Europe ..

The Traditional Long Dress - " Aó Dài"  made by "Mỹ A"Black Silk

Thus, the talented craftsmen of Binzhou land has created a product "unique" with secret black dyed by hand very nicely, it's sophisticated, "US Consul A" product the times have changed a few years 60-70 of the last century. Initially shinny beautiful but staining techniques have not yet reached the sophistication, then dyed silk workers by old shells, indigo leaves, mangrove and dyes, but all are not durable, wear some time, it was bear (silver color). Until finding technology from left Wearing black dye thereto, the new dye job starts strong growth, talented workers Bay land station found the secret of silk dyed with unique crafts, elaborately. And launched the product a glossy wine - US Consulate A Binzhou. US Consulate A durable good, highly smooth, hygroscopic and always cool, especially, even as long as shiny, and durable overcome five months, and that is the desire of so many extra charm Women from budget to upper class centuries.

A mulberry fields in Tân Châu - "Mỹ A" Black Silk land

How to product "Mỹ A" Black Silk?

As mentionedthat, Black Silk is one of the products of Silk should process to form the basic fabric is the same. Howeverthat, another point here is the deying proress to make the worm silk with the shinily black color.

 Dye row:

Contrary Even thereto:

 

"Mặc Nưa"  trees with scientific name is Diospyros mollis Grill under Ebenaceae.

As small trees, thinner body, white or gray branches, straight segmental height from 8 - 17 m. Light brown bark with small tumor nodules darker brown. Dense foliage pyramid, long shoots soft, slightly drooping. Deciduous tree part.

 

● Flowers: orange, beautiful.

● Fruit: The fruit flesh. Young green at yellow, turns yellow when ripe and color when the fruit used fresh.

 

 

 

 

"Mặc Nưa" young (green) and old (black) fruits

 

The fruit season, from November to June.

As many crops in southern Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand) grows wild in Ninh Thuan and are grown in An Giang, Kien Giang to get results out black dye, dyeing the "Mỹ A" balck silk.

 

 

HOW TO DYE:

 

Even ground-up left one moiety (no blender ancient workmen have left Wear pound likewise with stone and wooden pestle), kneading, pressing and strategies for water thereto contained in drums and add a quantity sufficient clean water, depending on the number of rows to dyeing plant (which requires the dyers have experienced so that sufficient quantity of water in a round plastic dyed) and then dip it into the water each tree resin Wear SMB customers absorbed and troughs for each piece silk top cross country to finish carrying out expressing some sun, when crops are dry (hot) and then roll into the embedded plastic ... Even thereto so on dye job Consulate trees continue until workers find enough water or expired date, daily average is about 4 people dyers water is satisfactory.

 

 

 

Dyeing the fabrics from the "Mặc Nưa" fruits

 

During dyeing "My A" Black Silk also has another job as:

 

- Discharge line: Is enough steps after dyeing number of days required for a leather goods, the dyers will bring customers into the water (usually river) to drain to clean out the sediment in the dyeing process, often people or discharge from midnight to promptly carry out exposure to light and keep the other as "cousin", "beat" or continue dying day.

 

 

 

 

The one part of processing after dyeing to make the shine silk

 

When workers exposed to double crops to cash crops, so each paragraph will have a length of over 10 meters, each worker standing head to expose a row, to see that our customers face on a dry tree, every worker will return, turn up to expose the bottom surface to dry.

Work dyeing expresses the simple fact that it's rather hard because a lot depends factors such as:

 

- Weather: It should have good sunshine for drying crops, dyed hot commodity when trees are dressed, met at irregular rainy weather sunny or rainy season is very positive that people dyers not yield as many or as Exposure time every encounter large wind was very hard.

 

- Health: Work dyeing requires the dyers to have good health for work outside the restaurant often as wringing, drying line requires muscle strength, the dyers always rain sunlight beams, or when they must exhaust discharge from the night, soak for several hours in water regardless of autumn and winter!

 

- Swipe oil: After finishing lake last row, before claw oil workers hands "he found" for stretching and softening commodity crops, this is the final stage of completing the dam to be completed and prepared the finished goods plant.

 

 

 

 

 

Drying the dyed fabric under natural sunshine

 

 

- When oil worker claw cover crops to use a cloth "coconut oil" and oil "Mazut" is an industrial oils with color flushed over the surface wipe crops to produce smooth ball, then "catch" rows and form a very nice package size rectangles around (0.3x0.2x0.08) m, and put it in plastic bags ready for delivery to customers.