The New Taipei City Hakka Museum is until June 15 holding a special exhibition of everyday objects utilized in traditional Hakka culture.
The household objects include tools, clothes, religious artifacts, utensils and musical instruments, the city’s Hakka Affairs Department said in a news release on May 13, adding that the artifacts embody the Hakka virtues of practicality, sturdiness and frugality.
One of the items on exhibit is qisi mao (氣死貓), a bamboo food basket that can be suspended from the beam of the house via a loop to protect its content from cats and mice, it said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Hakka Affairs Department
The vase-like container has a tapering mouth that can be sealed with a lid and its loop can also be used as a handle, it added.
Another object on display is a container made of rattan with a tight spiral weave resembling a bird’s nest that can hold a pot of tea and help it retain heat for a longer period, it said.
The exhibition also features traditional women’s clothing, which were loosely fitted for ease of movement, comfort and functionality, it said.
These clothes include lan shan (藍衫), a typically blue, knee-length upper garment that has an opening on the right side, and da tang ku (大襠褲), which is a straight-cut lower garment that resembles baggy trousers, it said.
A children’s hat called feng mao (風帽) has a flap that protects the neck from the cold, it said.
Hakka utensils on display include a collection of colorful rice bowls, the department said, adding that these ceramic vessels played an important symbolic role in family life and were frequently exchanged as gifts.
Other objects on display include a fisher’s basket, a straw raincoat and hat, a dustpan and a carrying rod.
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