A book of stories about 20 Aboriginal artisans and their work preserving traditional handicrafts from six Aboriginal communities in Hualien County has been published with the aid of the Hualien County Indigenous Peoples Department.
The Illustrated Book on Aboriginal Handicrafts (原藝百工圖冊) contains pictures and descriptions of Aboriginal handicrafts, including dyed cloth, hand-carved products and woven bamboo, the county government said at the book’s launch on Thursday.
It covers works from the Amis, Bunun, Kavalan, Sakizaya, Sediq and Truku communities.
Photo: Wang Chun-chi, Taipei Times
The Council of Indigenous Peoples has praised the book for its “indicative significance” in the development of Aboriginal culture in Hualien, the county government said.
Among the artisans mentioned in the book is Hsu Hsiang-lan (徐香蘭), whose bark painting was selected by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for a gift to a foreign head of state.
Hsu is adept at the Amis traditional craft of weaving bark cloth, which she has combined with cotton to create fish-shaped water gourds and other creations, the county government said.
Photo: Wang Chun-chi, Taipei Times
Hsu Yu-hsiang (許有祥) and Hsu Pao-lu (許保祿), a father-and-son team who specializes in crafting hunting knives for the Truku community, have made several knives for the people of the village, the county government said.
The two were commissioned to create knives for director Wei Te-sheng’s (魏德聖) 2011 film Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (彩虹戰士:賽德克巴萊), it added.
Department Director Chen Chien-tsun (陳建村) said most of the artisans featured in the book are not well-known — a testament to the innate artistic talent of Aborigines.
The book is also a testament to the artisans’ recognition and sentiments for the land, which have supported their resolve to take on the burden of passing on the handicrafts of their forebears, Chen said.
There are about 92,000 Aborigines in the six communities, including many undiscovered talented artisans, Chen said, adding that sequels to the book would be published to expand the public’s exposure to the aesthetics and wisdom of Aborigines.
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