The Pingtung County government has recognized two Paiwan women as “Aboriginal traditional artisans” for their achievements in woven cloth making.
Hsu Chun-mei (許春美), who is skilled in various forms of traditional Paiwan weaving, including flat weaving and twill weaving, last week said that the inspiration for her work mostly comes from daily life.
She has been praised for her meticulously woven fabrics, which employ a variety of colors.
Photo provided by the Pingtung County Government Cultural Affairs Department
Flat weaving, twill weaving and accordion stitch are the main forms of weaving in Paiwan culture, and several dozen patterns can be made using these three techniques, the Pingtung County Cultural Affairs Bureau said.
Only a few Paiwan still weave using traditional methods and equipment, and most people today use tabletop looms instead, it said.
Most people start with flat weaving — which is the easiest to learn — and then move on to twill weaving, it said, adding that accordion stitch is the hardest to master of the three techniques.
Chiang Mei-chen (蔣梅貞), who runs a studio in the county’s Laiyi Township (來義), has devoted her life to the promotion and research of Paiwan traditional arts, including weaving and clothing production.
Chiang said she hopes that the community’s traditional arts and skills would be passed on to future generations.
“I will carry on even if only a few Paiwan remain. I only hope that there will be people to carry on our ancestors’ knowledge,” she said.
Traditional Aboriginal customs and arts are important cultural assets for the region, Pingtung County Secretary-General Chiu Huang Chao-chung (邱黃肇崇) said.
It was important for everyone to cooperate to preserve these assets, and the county government would do its best to assist with such efforts, he said.
He hopes that the county could incorporate Aboriginal skills into the education system, he said.
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