Caressed by the warm Thai wind, slender strands of grass reach skyward. The delicate motif adorns a mango wood vase by Saifon. Working with her father, she selects a shape called pak trae, or trumpet. She selects the wood and lets the logs rest under heaps of wood shavings. She removes the bark and slightly roughens the log, then lathes it to the desired shape. This first stage alone can take up to three hours. Then the piece is placed in a kiln and fired for three days. It becomes encrusted with a thick layer of smoke, dirt, and impurities and must be polished several times with sandpaper. When the piece is smooth enough, she carves and decorates it. The final step is painting. Depending on the finishing style and the natural wood hue, a piece can take as long as six days to finish. It is lacquered several times and let dry for two days. It is finally polished and finished with a final coat of lacquer. Not watertight; for decorative use only.
Language: English
