The post about the photos being copied in BKK reminds me that in Saigon I saw lots of shops where artists offered to copy photos or actual paintings. My cousin had a copy painted there of a Vietnamese propaganga poster and it I love the way this turned out.

I will spend 5 days in Hanoi in January and wonder if anyone has done this and would like to share tips on prices, recommended artists, what type of work turns out best, etc etc... I am not interested in copying a personal snapshot but might like to have something interesting to hang on my wall at home..

Anyone done this in Hanoi??

We visited the home studios of two artists last week in Hanoi.

We really love the lacquer paintings of Mai Hien (full name Bui Mai Hien) and bought a painting that is being shipped to us now.

Here is her website:

http://buimaihienart.com/about.asp?ID=7

Another article about her:

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1233

Questions please. Was shipping expensive? How were the prices on art? Can you trust things to be shipped? Everyone always says "haul it back" not ship. Thanks!

As I recall, the cost of shipping our painting (approx 4 x 4 ft) was roughly $60.

As to "how were the prices on art", I find that impossible to answer. As in the US, some art can be had for a few dollars, other works cost thousands.

As to "can you trust shipping", our painting arrived today in California via FedEx (10 days after purchase in VN). It was in a 1/4 inch plywood box. There was a small mark on the mat, that I will try to touch up. A pain, but had I tried to haul it myself it would have likely turn out much worse.

As to haul yourself vs ship, I am a believer in "haul yourself". Had we bought one of the canvas oils we liked, I would have done exactly that. But there is no way to roll up a 4 x 4 ft lacquer painting (they paint on wood). On other items, such as clothing, I preferred to haul myself...and I did get away with a bit overweight with no added charge. I simply bought a duffel bag for $10 and stuffed it with my new clothes, then sent it as checked baggage.

My wife and I are very happy with our purchase. A nice piece of art at a price that worked for us, as well as a permanent memory of our wonderful trip.

One last question please. Did you take the art to a mailing place or did the artist gallery handle the shipping for you? I hope to purchase art in Thailand in Dec/Jan and would like to be as knowledgeable as possible. I have often found purchasing art to be more reasonable in other countries than the U.S., or I feel I recieved more value for the price. Thanks for your help!

The artist did the shipping for us. Seems to me that she would know a LOT more about that sort of thing than I would. Plus I didn't want to burn off that much time on my vacation. It isn't just the shipping; the item needs to be crated first.

Of course, one must buy from a reputable source so you are confident it will be shipped.

As to prices compared to the US, it is pretty hard to compare on something as dissimilar as art. My sense is that prices are much lower, but other Fodorites may know a lot more than me. In a county where the annual per capita income is about US$1,000, it is certainly logical that prices in VN would be lower.

We paid about $1,600 for our particular lacquerware painting. A well-recognized artist.

Thanks! The reason I asked about the shipping is that many travelers on this site have done their own mailings and act like it's easy. We are always limited on time and as you, do not want to waste time and have the hassle of doing it ourselves. You have been helpful. Good traveling.