These Smoked Bamboo Textile Hangers are hand-crafted in a Vietnamese village coop. There are about 150 households still involved in producing smoked bamboo products. The bamboo is harvested from the provinces of Bac Thai, Bac Can and Yen Bai. After harvesting, it is immersed in ponds for months (three in summer, four-five in winter). Next, the bamboo is scraped smooth by hand.
Now the bamboo is dried on the floor of a special wood and clay oven where it is smoked for 10-12 hours; rearranged and baked again (the process is repeated four times). When the drying is complete the bamboo is rubbed with sand, straw or husk. After smoking, it becomes flexible so that it can be bent and fashioned into various shapes. Finally, it is rubbed with oil to create a beautiful luster.
Bamboo has been used for thousands of years to make furniture and, because of its strength, it is also used to make building materials such as scaffolding.
