Vinh told Viet Nam News that 800 copies of the book will be released later this year.

The book features culture of wooden sculpture of the central province’s Co Tu ethnic group, an artistic approach that has been preserved by the community from past centuries.

Vinh said he took 15 years to study and research the Co Tu culture and lifestyle.

Traditionally, Co Tu people create wooden masks and sculpture on timber columns to decorate their Guol (communal house) and play as spiritual protection figures for the community.

The artwork has been preserved for a few hundred years, since the appearance of the ethnic group in the region.

Porning Village, which has a large population of Co Tu people in Quang Nam Province’s Tay Giang District, still preserves the longest-standing tradition of the Co Tu people.

According to Co Lau Nam, 86, one of the oldest sculptor living in Porning, wooden carved masks are believed to represent the souls of the dead, the good and the evil, while depict the daily lives of the Co Tu people.

He said masks used to hang on the village’s gate and all columns of the Guol - two spiritual places of Co Tu community - to drive away devils and protect the villagers from supernatural disasters.

The book, written in Vietnamese, will also feature photos and collections of wood statue sculpture.