Reimagining Feminine Adornments Through the Lens of the Indigenous, Han Taiwanese and Royalty
Poster for ‘Imaging Indigene, Han Taiwanese, and Royalty in Collection’ Exhibition
TAIPEI, Taiwan — For museum enthusiasts who find themselves in the city of Taipei, there are three museums that you wouldn’t want to miss: the renowned National Palace Museum (NPM) that houses the world’s largest collection of Chinese art; the National Taiwan Museum (NTM) that is home to a diverse collection of indigenous artefacts; and the National Museum of Taiwan History (NMTH), whose extensive collection reflects the nation’s rich heritage and folk culture.
Earlier this year, a rare exhibition jointly curated by these three museums was on view at the National Taiwan Museum. Titled Imaging Indigene, Han Taiwanese, and Royalty in Collection, the exhibition examines the material culture of three groups of people, namely Taiwan’s indigenous people or native inhabitants of this land, the Han Taiwanese who travelled across the strait from southern China from the 17th century onwards, and the ruling-members of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912).
The theme of the exhibition spans across ten areas, each featuring a dedicated selection of artefacts from the three museums. The wide-ranging themes are essential to the understanding of a culture: Non-Monetary Power of coins, Written Languages, Smoking Paraphernalia, the Art of Banquet, Imagination of Outsiders, Veneration of Ancestors, Feminine Adornment, Motifs and Symbolisms of Fertility, Representation of Sexuality, and Manifestation of Successful Men.
Feminine adornments of court ladies (National Palace Museum Collection)
Art of Feminine Adornment
For readers who are familiar with my background in jewellery , you might have guessed that I would be drawn to the section on ‘Art of Feminine Adornment’. In this part of the exhibition, three display cases are placed side by side, each corresponding to the kind of adornments that would’ve been worn by women from three different groups: Qing court ladies, Han Taiwanese women, and Indigenous women.
It’s no secret that what we often refer to as ‘Chinese Jewellery’ is the result of millennia of cross-cultural exchange and appropriation. The ruling members of China’s last imperial dynasty, the Qing, originated from Manchuria. Jewellery, alongside an abundance of artistic endeavours yielded by the imperial craftsmen, testifies to the amalgamation of local Han tradition and that of the Manchu.
Feminine adornments of Han Taiwanese (National Museum of Taiwan History Collection)
During the Qing dynasty, jewellery adorned with invaluable dongzhu pearl (freshwater pearls from China’s Northeast region), iridescent-blue kingfisher feathers, and other precious stones would’ve been found in the wardrobe of a high-rank court lady.
Besides elaborate ornaments for the lady’s headdresses, we see two pieces of jade carved in a shape that’s similar to that of a pair of elephant tusk. This curio is in fact a pair of nail protectors. In addition to its aesthetic value, nail protector was a symbol of status. Judging from the use of jadeite, this pair of nail protectors would’ve belonged to the Empress or the Dowager Empress who, by putting them on, established her status as someone who was to be served, without getting her hands dirty.
Accompanying these feminine adornments from the royal family is a selection of album paintings that depict beautiful ladies dressed in sumptuous clothes and jewellery. These fine illustrations give visitors a glimpse to how these jewels on display would’ve been worn by female members of the imperial household and court ladies alike.
Feminine adornments of Indigenous people (National Taiwan Museum Collection)
In the section where feminine adornments of Han Taiwanese are showcased, we see something very different from the royal wardrobes: a panoply of eclectic adornments from hairpins to bracelets, powder containers to lotus shoes.
The old saying “a woman dresses up for her beloved” only touches on the surface of the various roles that adornments played in traditional Han Chinese society. In addition to pleasing their husbands, women adorned themselves to fulfil the mainstream ideals of beauty at the time. This includes, in particular, the practice of foot-binding by girls from an early age, a mark of beauty that eventually became an expression of Han identity.
Right across from the display of imperial jewellery is a showcase dedicated to adornment of indigenous women. At first impression, the items here look very different from the jewellery worn by court ladies and Han Taiwanese women.
It is clear that the use of natural material such as plumes, bones and shells predominate the wardrobe of indigenous women. Occasionally, we see semi-precious gemstones forming bracelets and necklaces, coupled with colourful beads made of glass whose design and pattern often carry meaningful message.
Display of the section on ‘Non-monetary power of coins’
What’s interesting is that, in the sections of ‘Feminine Adornment’ and ‘Non-Monetary Power of Coins’, we see how coins, rather than being used as currency, have been integrated into the design of their clothes and jewellery, becoming an integral element of the indigenous wardrobe.
In most cases, the stampings have already been removed, but their circular shape and thickness bear strong resemblance to coins. These thin metal sheets, mostly oxidised, come together to form a necklace, complemented by carnelian beads in one example, and plumes in another.
The Tao people of Lanyu Island off Taiwan’s southeastern coast are known to have melted down silver coins recovered from shipwrecks, recasting them to make different adornments and helmets. On display, we also see the people of Seediq, residing in the mountain of Wushe in Nantou County, who is known to have incorporated Chinese coppers coins to the rim of a woman’s skirt, adding an exotic flair to their traditional weaving technique.
Afterthought
While this writer has been a frequent visitor to all these three museums, it is my first time to see their collection being exhibited side by side. I’ve always thought that a successful exhibition is one that changes our ways of viewing the world by the end of our visit. This exhibition is a rare one that succeeds in doing that.
We inherit a great wealth of material culture from our ancestors. As an art history graduate, I have always tried to look beyond the surface of artefacts as I’m convinced that it is only by knowing the culture of a civilisation can one truly understand the works of art produced by its people. Imaging Indigene, Han Taiwanese, and Royalty in Collection is one such exhibition that offers its visitors to develop a multitude of perspective when examining a culture and their objects. Most importantly, to do so through a non-hierarchical lens.
Many visitors, while enjoying the diversity of items on display, may find themselves lost among a myriad of material culture that can be so different from one another. But it won’t be long before they realise that, what lies behind these three different cultures is that same longing for beauty and, most importantly, a life of happiness and security that is believed to have bestowed on them by the so-called invisible force, be it divine, supernatural, or however they want to call it.
The joint exhibition Imaging Indigene, Han Taiwanese, and Royalty in Collection was on view at the National Taiwan Museum in Taipei from December, 2022 through May 29th, 2022. The exhibition will travel to Tainan City in October, 2022.