Dó paper
Encyclopedia
Dó paper is a paper made from the bark of the Rhamnoneuron balansae traditionally produced in many villages in Vietnam
. It plays an important role in folk art, Dong Ho Painting
in particular, because of its duability.
for three months. Second, the black outer bark is husked off and ground by mortar and pestle before being glended with a viscous substance made from a plant belonging to Verbenaceae
family. This mixture is diluted to form a slurry. A bamboo mold (Vietnamese
: liềm xeo) is dipped into the vat of slurry and removed. Paper fibers adhere to the mold in a thin sheet that is then pressed, dried, rolled, and dried again. The final product must be soft, light, and durable.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. It plays an important role in folk art, Dong Ho Painting
Dong Ho Painting
Dong Ho painting , full name Dong Ho folk woodcut painting is a genre of Vietnamese woodcut paintings originated from Dong Ho village in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam...
in particular, because of its duability.
Production process
The production process includes some stages. First, the bark is soaked in lime waterLime water
Limewater is the common name for saturated calcium hydroxide solution. It is sparsely soluble. Its chemical formula is Ca2. Since calcium hydroxide is only sparsely soluble, i.e. ca. 1.5 g per liter at 25 °C, there is no visible distinction to clear water. Attentive observers will notice a slightly...
for three months. Second, the black outer bark is husked off and ground by mortar and pestle before being glended with a viscous substance made from a plant belonging to Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that...
family. This mixture is diluted to form a slurry. A bamboo mold (Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
: liềm xeo) is dipped into the vat of slurry and removed. Paper fibers adhere to the mold in a thin sheet that is then pressed, dried, rolled, and dried again. The final product must be soft, light, and durable.