Buddha: " Whenever you see things, just see. Whenever you listen, just listen. Whenever you know, just know."Sa Paper and Umbrella Handicraft Centre FactorySa Paper and Umbrella Handicraft Centre Factory
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We visited the Sa Paper and Umbrella Handicraft Centre and factory in December 2007 as part of a self planned excursion around Chiang Mai and found that we
had stepped back in time to an era where paper was made by hand and the cottage industry flourished.
The Sa Paper and Umbrella factory area had a production line of Thai ladies making paper umbrellas and fans for sale in the adjacent handicrafts showroom. 
framework. The ladies work, seated on cushions on the floor, wielding razor sharp trimming knives at lightning speed, cutting through the fresh green bamboo like butter! Finishing a rib or vein in a few seconds without any reference to a pattern, adding it to a bunch of identical pieces until the required number are collected for drilling, using a hand held drill, then stringing and assembling the pieces into the umbrella or fan framework.
Once the framework assembly is complete it is added to the batch of similar items ready for passing on to the paper fixer. The paper fixer works with deft
fingers to space the ribs and add the paper with an application of water based glue. Surprisingly the glue is added with the same fingers that handle the
paper but with such skill as to use all the glue up before touching the next piece of paper. Once the paper umbrella or fan is fully covered it is allowed to dry. The item is then ready for painting with the required pattern and finishing with a lacquer coat and any trim added.
Items annotated (TAT) |
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