Government Information Office Minister Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) likes to collect antiques, especially items connected with Taiwanese folk culture.
“We all die one day, but antiques remain. Antiques should be preserved and not destroyed just because people die,” Su said as he displayed dozens of his collection of molds used to make red sticky rice cakes (紅龜粿), a popular Taiwanese treat at Lunar New Year and other festivals.
The dough is dyed red for auspiciousness and pressed into a tortoise-shaped mold to create a shape akin to a turtle shell to symbolize longevity.
Since starting his collection 16 years ago, Su said he had acquired more than 400 red sticky rice cake molds, each with a story to tell.
“This is the smallest one I have ever seen. It’s a toy for little girls. This, the biggest one I have, I found by accident in Tainan. It cost me almost NT$10,000 and was used especially at temple fairs. My father bought this one for me, this one was given to me by my nanny, and I bought this from a scrap-collector for a very cheap price,” Su said as he showed off his treasured collection.
Su said he was attracted to collecting the molds not only because he likes red sticky rice cakes but also by the traditional and delicate designs on the molds, many of which are engraved with images of coins, fish, peaches and the Chinese character for longevity.
He said he did not just put all his molds in boxes and store them but displayed some in a room in his house, like many people arrange their books.
“I often like to have a look at the molds and that makes me feel better when I am down,” he said.
The molds are just one of many items Su collects, all connected to the history of Taiwan.
He said these included “Tatung bao bao (大同寶寶)” dolls, a Tatung Company mascot, Warinta soft drink bao baos (萬達汽水寶寶), a mascot of a former soda-water company, Buddhist woodblock prints and collections of local literature.
“Last time I moved, it took a 3.5 tonne truck two trips to transport all of them,” he said.
Su said he appreciates antiques connected with Taiwan’s history as “they are the original flavor of Taiwan” and “remain part of the memories of my childhood.”
This is why he does not collect Chinese antiques even though he has seen many on his numerous trips to flea markets.
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