Non Nuoc marble artists carve a place in history

Eight kilometres from Da Nang city is the picturesque rock outcropping of Ngu Hanh Son (Five Marble Mountains). Consisting of five large hills riddled with caves dedicated to Buddha and Budhistavas, the Marble Mountains were already serving as religious sanctuaries for the ancient Chams in the second century.

Apart from their charming beauty, they represent a valuable source of red, white and blue marbles for the artisans at the foot of the mountain in Non Nuoc village. Non Nuoc serves as an authentic brand name for marble carvings from the area, and is a great source of pride for the people of Da Nang city.

According to an epitaph kept in Pho Khanh Pagoda, the art of marble sculpturing in Non Nuoc Village originally came from artisans immigrating from Thanh Hoa (150km south of Hanoi) early in the 17th century. It is of course not chance that led them to this region, but rather the recognition of the rich source of materials they could use for their art. They settled and soon started putting to good use the ancient Ngu Hanh Son. They also found inspiration in its aura as well as its mysterious and captivating sights.

Today, the village buzzes with activity, and the melodic sound of carvers working day and night mixes with the regular rhythm of the waves nearby.

In the old days, artisans only produced simple functional items such as grinders, mortars and anchors to meet the demand of locals living in neighbouring villages. But throughout the middle of the 19th century, when the first tea sets – teapots and cups – were carved out of marble, craftmen thought of venturing into more artistic areas and started expanding the range of their products. These included domestic objects such as flower vases, plates, white marble tea sets, and traditional familiar figures of elephants, lions, dragons, unicorns, tortoises, and phoenixes. Up to the first decades of the 20th century, Non Nuoc marble works were regularly displayed at international exhibitions.

Visiting Non Nuoc today, you will discover artisans absorbed in chiselling, whittling, carving and polishing a whole variety of coloured marble pieces. People admire and praise their talent, skill, and creativity when they see rough marble blocks slowly coming alive in the form of a statues such as Vietnamese girls with graceful long dresses and lovely "Bai tho" conical hats. Marble products fall into four different categories: statues of Buddha and gods; statues of people, especially woman or loving couples, animals, and household amenities such as lamps, chairs, tables, flower vases, teacups, bowls and plates often imprinted in oriental styles. Non Nuoc also produces items that can be used for Western architectural style decoration such as marble balconies, pillars and water fountains. But there is no doubt that artisans take the most joy and pride carving the artistic pieces imitating the Champa style.

Marble sculptors in Non Nuoc village are passionate about their work and proud of their creativity. Many of them have dedicated their lives to the craft. Among the most famous are Le Bien, Nguyen Sang, and Nguyen Viet Minh. Young artisans such as Nguyen Long Buu and Nguyen Hung became renowned early in their careers after making a breakthrough in modern marble art with the typical works comprising figures of Vietnamese mothers in the season of spring. These artists have now risen to fame through local and overseas exhibitions. vov new