子集單元

【藺編工藝的復興】

#聚光燈下
#文化 / 文化資產
#設計

苗栗苑裡種植著一種非常特別的「三角藺」,有著濃濃的草香、無比堅韌的特質。早在三百年前,原住民便用它來編織物品,後來漢人也學習這個藺編文化,持續至今,僅剩年長的婦女會這項編織技術。

藺編藝師吳彩卿和吳淑芬是一對姊妹,從小便跟著媽媽學習編草蓆、草帽,外銷到日本,兩姊妹回憶起那段歲月,既美好又害怕,因為日以繼夜編一張草蓆,得花上將近一個月,十分辛苦。在那個「重男輕女」的時代,苑裡反倒是「重女輕男」,因為女性靠著藺編撐起了家中的經濟。

60年代工業興起,藺編產業沒落,苑裡的婦人也不再編藺草了,眼看這個美好的技藝即將消失,「#台灣藺草學會」呼喚在地長者和一群年輕人,決定復興藺編工藝,他們憑著記憶尋回傳統花紋,並嘗試以創新設計做編織,他們還跨界與故宮、服裝設計師陳劭彥合作,過程雖然曲折,但在這些阿姨、阿嬤們的巧手下,最後編出了連自己也驚奇的作品。

The Renaissance of Bullrush Weaving

Schoenoplectus triqueter is a unique species of stream bank bulrush with triangular stalks grown in Yuanli Township of Miaoli County in Western Taiwan. Streambank bulrush, known to be both fragrant and durable, was first woven more than 300 years ago by aboriginal peoples. The Han Chinese later adopted bulrush weaving and created a weaving culture that continues to this day; despite the fact that now only elderly women are familiar with this weaving technique.

Bulrush artisans WU Cai-qing and WU Shu-fen are sisters who learned to weave as kids. Their mother taught them to make bulrush mats and hats, which were later exported to Japan. The sisters look back on those times as full of both trials and tribulations because weaving a single bulrush mat was difficult work that could take almost a month. The weavers of Yuanli were set apart from patriarchal traditions since their families relied primarily on their daughters, rather than their sons, for financial support.

The rise of industrialization in the 1960s led to a decline in the bulrush weaving industry that caused the women of Miaoli to abandon weaving. Faced with the disappearance of such a fine art, a group of elders and young people decided to revive the art of bulrush weaving. They relied on their memories to restore traditional patterns while also incorporating innovative designs into their weaving.

This interdisciplinary project in partnership with the National Palace Museum and fashion designer CHEN Shao-Yen was quite challenging; however, the group managed some spectacular final products thanks to the aunts and grandmothers of Yuanli.