Burning bright: Vietnam's gold-plated new year tiger
AFP
1/21/2022
© Nhac NGUYEN
Thousands of 24-carat gold plated tigers are hitting high-end souvenir shops in Hanoi, selling for between $300 and $3,000, ahead of the Lunar new year
Vietnamese are paying hundreds of dollars for gold plated tiger models as gifts as Lunar New Year draws near, bucking a major economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.
Tet, as it is known in Vietnam, is the most important festival of the year and the occasion for people to give gifts to loved ones and business partners.
With the year of the tiger starting on February 1, many are choosing pricy models of the striped felines.
Thousands of 24-carat gold plated tigers are hitting high-end souvenir shops in Hanoi, selling for between $300 and $3,000.
"The gold-plated tiger model will bring me the feeling of being in a higher class," said architect Pham Quang Duc who bought himself a winged tiger model for home decoration.
The year of the tiger is supposed to bring power and prosperity, and artisans said they tried to reflect this in their work.
Video: How a ‘kidney chain’ is saving lives: ‘An awesome gift’ (TODAY)
-
Glen Powell: I learned how to solo-skydive from Tom Cruise
TODAY -
Jenna Bush Hager remembers calling her dad on ‘Ellen’
TODAY -
Hear some of the most inspiring speeches at 2022 graduations
TODAY -
Get the most out of your carry-on with these products
TODAY -
Meet the TikToker going viral for eating sandwiches with strangers
TODAY -
Kevin Bludso shares his recipe for grilled pork spareribs and potato salad
TODAY -
Indianapolis 500: Drivers to watch and what to expect this weekend
TODAY -
Honoring our military: A Purple Heart recipient gets a new home
TODAY -
Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ hits theaters Friday
TODAY -
Bode and Morgan Miller reveal baby daughter’s name
TODAY -
Harrison Ford unveils first look at ‘Indiana Jones’ movie
TODAY -
Save big this Memorial Day weekend on mattresses, furniture and more
TODAY -
More questions emerge about police timeline in Texas school shooting
TODAY -
See LeBron James surprise a classroom of kids from his hometown
TODAY -
4 killed in home explosion in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
TODAY -
Kevin Spacey facing sexual assault charges in UK
TODAY
-
Glen Powell: I learned how to solo-skydive from Tom Cruise Actor Glen Powell joins Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager to talk about the highly anticipated release of “Top Gun: Maverick.” He talks about what it was like to act alongside his favorite actor, Tom Cruise, saying the original “Top Gun” inspired his love for movies. “It was one of the reasons I became an actor,” he says.
TODAY
-
Jenna Bush Hager remembers calling her dad on ‘Ellen’ As Ellen Degeneres wraps her iconic 19-season run on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ Jenna Bush Hager looks back on her 2007 interview with the host, including when she called her father at the White House.
-
Hear some of the most inspiring speeches at 2022 graduations Millions of students who are graduating this year are hearing from different voices as they mark this major milestone. Hear some of the messages of inspiration shared to the class of 2022 and beyond, including from speakers Vice President Kamala Harris, Taylor Swift, Tyler Perry, Craig Melvin and more.
"The tiger in my design not only shows the animal's ferocity, but also the power, the aim of striving forward and conquering," artisan Vu Dung told AFP of his tiger with eagle wings.
"Possessing a gold plated tiger model would mean its owner is in the high class in society and is successful economically," he added.
It takes days of detailed work for artisans to make the sparkling gold-plated figurines.
The process requires painting, gilding, and polishing the model, which often starts with clay, then ending with a copper sculpture before being plated with the precious metal.
"We have to make sure the gold plating layer must be spread evenly on the model, including every crevice," worker Lai Huy Nam told AFP at his workshop in Hanoi.
Vietnam has suffered economically from the Covid-19 pandemic, with growth hitting a 30-year low last year and more than 1.4 million jobs lost.
"The tiger with wings model shows my hope for my works to take off and have some breakthrough in the new year," Duc said.
bur-tmh/pdw/oho
