“I grew up observing my grandmother’s hands,” the Pingtung County-based artist said, adding that such tattoos in the Rukai culture symbolize purity for women.
“But these tattoos became a lost art during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945). My grandmother’s hands are our tribe’s only living proof of this piece of heritage.”
According to Peng, or Kaludasan as he is known in the Rukai language, many visitors to his workshop are instantly attracted to the cultural significance of the embroidered tattoo. “Some cherish it to such a degree that they don’t even want to use the handbag,” he said.
Peng attributes the popularity of the craftwork to the care he took in sketching his grandmother’s hands and painstakingly stitching the image on a piece of fabric. “I am overjoyed to introduce my traditional culture to the world of modern handbags.”
Rukai hand tattoos come in eight patterns, including diamonds, humans, mountains and triangles, Peng said. While mountain patterns were mostly used by commoners, those of diamonds and humans tended to be reserved for nobles, he added. (DF-JSM)
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