Black for beauty

Black for beauty

Black for beauty

The old Vietnamese custom of blackening women's teeth

In many hamlets of Viet Nam, there are still a few elders with blackened teeth, rather unusual in these times. As a child, I was curious about my grandmother's few remaining blackened teeth and stared into her mouth whenever she smiled. When I asked her about it, she nonchalantly remarked that every woman of her generation did it, as a mark of beauty and to keep their teeth strong and healthy. Her smiles became toothless as I grew up but my curiosity remained, so I sought out the story of this quaint custom.

The custom stems from the time of Vietnam's founding and its first dynastic rulers, the Hung Emperors in 2879 BC. In that time, all women and some men would blacken their teeth including those from the royal family and court. The custom became especially prevalent in Hue during the rule of the Nguyen Emperors who made Hue their citadel. Blackened teeth prevented tooth decay and although you may think it strange, it had some aesthetic appeal to me.

There were several methods of blackening teeth. The wealthy used an expensive and complex formula while the poor had a simpler way to make their smiles more appealing. Teeth blackening would begin at a young and tender age when milk-teeth had been shed.

Red sticklac, a resin obtained from tiny insects was used as a dye. This was diluted with lemon juice or rice wine and stored in darkness for a few days before it was coated onto teeth. Iron filings are applied and react with the resin to form a blue-black, metallic coating. The whole procedure usually took a week or two during which there would be no chewing and straws were used to drink with. Every year or during special occasions like weddings, teeth would be blackened again to retain its sheen. Although a rare sight these days, the custom is recalled in old proverbs and poems:

Get married with worthy men

Do not squander rosy cheeks and black teeth

Who blackens your teeth

to make me fall

and be drowned in love?

POST COMMENT

100 11.5 Gram 4 Aces Poker Chip Set With Beautiful Mahogany Case Review FreshLook Cosmetic Contact Lenses – Beautiful And Fresh Look For Your Eyes Europa Cosmetic Contact Lenses – Beauty Without Sacrificing Your Prescription Bella Plano Cosmetic Contact Lenses – Great Contacts For The Beautiful You Get Wed in the Beautiful Locales of Brisbane and Capture the Precious Moments Honeymoon in Kerala and Its Beautiful Attractions to Explore List of Chemicals Found in Skin Care Do You Want Beautiful and Elongated Eight Pack Abs? Ladakh is a land of endless beauty and great adventure Beautifully Constructed Native American Lances Krabi Is Lined With Beautiful Beaches Eye Lash Extension Gold Coast Makes Beauty Complete Gold Coast Eye Lash Extension Making You Look More Beautiful