We visited several Chiang Mai handicraft factories and my favorite was the umbrella factory. The process starts with the bark of the
Saa tree (Mulberry) which is stripped from the limbs of the living tree so that the tree isn't killed and then boiled and pounded to a pulp.
The pulp is dissolved in a vat of water, sometimes with a natural color die added, and a fine screen is passed through the vat, collecting the fibers. This thin coating is left in the sun to dry.
The next step is to make the frame from sections of bamboo.
The ribs are carefully cut and fitted and then set in the sun to dry as well.
Here are some frames and painted tops drying in the sun waiting to turn into patio umbrellas.
Once the saa paper has dried, it is peeled from the screen and cut into circles and carefully fitted to the ribs. It is coated with waterproofing and dried.
The final step is the delicate painting. This particular factory also makes silk and pure cotton umbrellas as well.
This is the paper umbrella we bought, antiqued before it was painted.
The pulp is dissolved in a vat of water, sometimes with a natural color die added, and a fine screen is passed through the vat, collecting the fibers. This thin coating is left in the sun to dry.
The next step is to make the frame from sections of bamboo.
The ribs are carefully cut and fitted and then set in the sun to dry as well.
Here are some frames and painted tops drying in the sun waiting to turn into patio umbrellas.
Once the saa paper has dried, it is peeled from the screen and cut into circles and carefully fitted to the ribs. It is coated with waterproofing and dried.
The final step is the delicate painting. This particular factory also makes silk and pure cotton umbrellas as well.
This is the paper umbrella we bought, antiqued before it was painted.
1 comment:
I feel like im watching the Discovery Channel :) Cool
Post a Comment