Paiwan Glass Beads/排灣人的琉璃珠
Glass beads, also known as Katalata, are one of the essential cultural characteristics of the Paiwan tribe. Glass beads come in vivid colors and rich patterns, and they are accorded different definitions of heaven, earth and nature as well as different social and humanity values based on different patterns and designs. Based on patterns, the Paiwan tribe categorizes glass beads into mulimulidan (beads of the noble), rosonagatou (beads of sun), baloalisabula (beads of peacocks), tsadatsaan (beads of land), pomatzamatza (beads of eyes), makazaigao (beads of hands and legs), malutsualan (beads of protection), talimantzan (green beads), bakulu (orange beads), malupolapola (lesser orange beads), etc. In addition to the general meaning of protection, each pattern has its own status representation. In the Paiwan society, glass beads are a hereditary treasure and a must in weddings. Some precious types of glass beads are kept only by the noble. In traditional Paiwan beliefs, for instance, only chieftains can wear mulimulidan and rosonagatou. Where did glass beads come from? Aboriginal historical records show that precious glass beads were once discovered in royal tombs in Egyptian pyramids. Later glass beads were spread from Persia to Italy, Rome, Venice, Middle East, India, China, Korea, and Japan. The production methods for glass beads were once lost but are now rediscovered. The Paiwan people set up workshops to produce glass beads. To expand market, the workshops have blended traditional pattern designs with fashion. The beautifully radiant products of glass beads are available in the department stores and duty-free shops at the airport in Kaohsiung, the aboriginal cultural village in Pingtung, and the hotels in Kenting.
不管都市原住民或原住民部落的居民，常可看到他們佩戴顏色鮮豔的琉璃珠，尤其排灣部落，不論男女，總喜歡掛一串琉璃珠項鍊，或戴串琉璃珠手鍊。琉璃珠，又稱「蜻蜓珠」（Katalata），正是排灣族傳統文化特色之一。
琉璃珠色彩紋飾繽紛，排灣族人以宇宙天地、大自然及社會人文的價值，賦予不同紋飾的琉璃珠特殊定義，近幾年，古老的琉璃珠為國內外古董收藏家收藏對象，也有博物館蒐購當館藏。 排灣族的傳統琉璃珠依紋飾不同，有「高貴之珠」、「太陽之珠」、「孔雀之珠」、「土地之珠」、「眼睛之珠」、「手腳之珠」、「護身黃珠」、「綠珠」、「橙珠」和「較次級的橙珠」，每一種紋飾除代表身分地位之外，多有守護之意。 排灣族社會中，琉璃珠是傳家與婚聘中不可或缺之物，有些珍貴的琉璃珠只有貴族才擁有，「高貴之珠」、「太陽之珠」在傳統觀念裡通常只有頭目才能配戴。 琉璃珠從何而來？原住民部落考據文獻，得知埃及金字塔的皇墓中曾被發現古老珍貴的琉璃珠，後來由波斯傳到義大利、羅馬、威尼斯，再由陸路傳到中東、印度、中國、韓國、日本。不過，航海著名的民族如西班牙、英國、荷蘭等，也有大量琉璃珠與海上島嶼居民交換食物、淡水或其他珍貴的貨物，所以後來也稱蜻蜓珠為「貿易珠」。 琉璃珠製作技術曾失傳過，這幾年排灣部落不斷努力，總算找回製作方法，並大量在部落設立工場製作，既創造就業機會，也外銷他國開創另一種文化經濟。 部落工場為了拓展琉璃珠市場，不只製作傳統紋飾，更加進流行意象，花卉、動物、幾何圖騰，透明、晶亮等設計，突破傳統，緊跟時尚走，項鍊、耳環飾品之外，手機袋、眼鏡袋、髮夾、背包，都有琉璃珠裝飾的圖案。現在高雄市的百貨公司、機場免稅店、屏東的原住民文化園區、墾丁的觀光飯店，都可以看到這些色澤亮麗的琉璃珠製品。 |