Author: Henri Oger; Publisher: World; Size: 24.5 cmx32 cm; Quantities: 271 pages; Year: 2009
Published a century ago, Henri Oger’s work “ Mechanics and Crafts of the Annamites” was the result of pioneering studies into the material civilization of Vietnam at the beginning of the twentieth century. Accompanied by a Vietnamese draughtsman, Oger trod the streét anh suburbs of Hanoi for two years (1908-1909), gathering and collating information on the formidable variety of industries and trades that had evolved there, covering every aspect of private and public life during those times. More than 4000 drawings and sketches were thus assembled.

The reader is first of all drawn in by the aesthetic quality of its drawings and engravings which make it a true work of art. The simplicity of the line, the rigor of the graphics, the painstaking care taken by the artist to capture the daily gestures anh attitudes of the ordinary folk of Hanoi and its surroundings areas: all these elements convey a deep humanity to this work.
The unique character of this work resides in its thoroughness of data collection. The author invites us to discover a rich material culture, which is the product of a remarkable ingeniousness and of an acute ability to use primary materials and often basic tools. So, this book provides the scientific public with a mine of previously unknown information on the diversity of crafts and popular knowledge at the beginning of the Twentieth Century in the North of Vietnam.
The library of Vietnam National Museum of History is pleased to introduce all readers!
Trang Nhung