The museum was in the top of my list of places to visit because I was especially interested in how women's contributions to society and culture were showcased considering Viet Nam's most famous military leaders were Hai Bà Trưng, three sisters. I was delighted to see a well curated collection with three permanent exhibits divided upon the role of women in the family, the role of women in history, and women's fashion. The curators collected items from women in every ethnic and socioeconomic group to build a full picture of the role of women.
That's a bride under that mantle
"Women in Family" was easily my favorite collection and the display was very well thought out, beginning with a circle of life theme showing ethnic women's times as girls, women, wives and mothers. Several central Vietnamese ethnicities are matriarchal, adding roles of leadership to the life cycle. The first part of the collection featured marital traditions, which were of interest to me, having recently celebrated my Anglo-Vietnamese wedding. I made sure to point out the dowry list that SB's family was remiss in providing (I'm still waiting for that pig).
Even more interesting were the birth rituals, from seeking spiritual advice for pregnancy, to practices around pregnancy, birthing, and the care of new mothers and newborn children. Some ethnicities treat the umbilical cord as sacred and save them in a family cask. Many ethnic minority groups utilized herbs that aided in lactation or fighting infection, and various herbs provided nutrition. Basic understanding of germs and infection was shown in rituals and customs that prevented non-family members from visiting preceding and immediately following childbirth, and through rituals of caring for a woman in labor.
The last part of women in family collection highlighted the roles and tasks of women in daily life. Typically women cultivated the land, planting and harvesting food as well as milling and preparing foods for meals. Women wove baskets for holding seeds, fishing, and foraging. Women also were responsible for weaving, sewing, and making pottery; this was all undertaken alongside raising children.
"Women in History" mostly focused on the women resisters of colonial rule and later participants in war. There was a lot of propaganda but in this case it was necessary for context and to tell the story. The displays were very well put together and thoughtful; especially of note were the diaries and stories of the medics and youthful leaders. I wish that there was more of the history before the 20th century. I would have liked to know more about Hai Bà Trưng who fought Chinese occupation and ruled in AD 40, and I was surprised that their story was minimally featured.
The "Women’s Fashion" collection showcased the various traditional fabrics of Vietnam's 54 diverse ethnicities. Not only were different production methods used, but groups used stitching patterns and colors to identify themselves. We saw examples of embroidery, batik, applique, and weaving. There were also display cases featuring jewelry made from betel nuts, shells, and elaborate designs on precious metals. At the end of the exhibit were modern dresses on display, including an áo dài from the designer of my wedding ensemble. If I could, I would take home a sample of every ethnic group's fabric; they were all so beautiful. SIL thought that some of the embroidery, particularly the Hmong cross stitch, was very similar to traditional embroidery in Guatemala.
My grandmother once had black, lacquered teeth like these northern ethnic groups!
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