Restoring and Preserving the Knowledge of Making Metal Offering Tools of the Cham People

AFFILIATION
Service for Tourism and Culture Conservation of Quang Nam 

DESCRIPTION 
Restoring and Preserving the Knowledge of Making Metal Offering Tools of the Cham People The profession of making metal objects for ritual offerings has a long history in the Cham community in Vietnam, an important ethnic group in Southeast Asia. Metal objects are an essential part of Cham rituals. They are symbolic and sacred; many families pass down gold and copper objects from generation to generation.  

The Cham community has a few artisans dedicated to making metal products. The artisans’ craft is a form of Indigenous knowledge, encapsulating hundreds of years of Cham art and spirituality. However, many traditional rituals have disappeared, and metal objects have been replaced by plastic, rubber and other modern materials. The number of artisans continues to dwindle, with only a few remaining and no prospective successors. In a few years, Cham metal making could be a lost art.  

This project aims to keep this tradition alive by restoring practical knowledge of traditional metalwork among younger generations. The project is implemented with anthropological research methods combined with digitization and community collaboration. It has held activities to build capacity to make prototypes of these objects and digitize the record of this vocation.

Restoring and Preserving the Knowledge of Making Metal Offering Tools of the Cham People

 

Beneficiaries

  • Direct beneficiaries: the group of artisans who still practice this cultural heritage. However, the Cham community is quite small. There is only one expert, who is very old, and therefore at risk of not having a solid succession. By implementing this project, the artisans will have the opportunity to restore the lost profession, improve skills, and teach the younger generation about this indigenous knowledge. 
  • Indirect beneficiaries: the Cham minority in Vietnam, who practice a heritage that is increasingly threatened.

Outputs

  • Traditional metal items produced; 

  • Documentation produced concerning the process of creating these precious objects;
     

  • Community events held to introduce and share the project's products; 
     

  • Products displayed for about three months in the Cham community, then handed over to the community to use. The 2d and 3d versions will be displayed online; 

  • Digital archives produced: website that stores 3d forms, products, images and videos about the project for permanent storage with open access.

Outcomes

  • Indigenous knowledge in the Cham community restored;

  • Young artisans trained to continue passing on this art; 

  • Documentation produced to improve knowledge and help with intergenerational knowledge sharing;  

  • Awareness raised about this ancient form of Cham heritage through publications, project products and events.