A historically unique divination box from the Ketagalan people goes on display

By Wei Ruyu, compiled and reported

“How Well Do You Know? The Ketagalan History and Culture Special Exhibition” is currently being held at the Ketagalan Cultural Hall and Beitou Hot Spring Museum. This is the first special exhibition in Taiwan themed around the Ketagalan people and is open to the public free of charge, running until April 29, 2012.

Dr. Chan Su-chuan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Taiwan History at Academia Sinica and also the curator of this exhibition, stated that there is still a gap between academic knowledge and public awareness regarding the Ketagalan people. Although Taiwan is a society composed of diverse ethnic groups, the distinction between “Han” and “non-Han” remains stark, which is worthy of reflection and examination by those who identify as Han. The word “well-cooked” (熟) in the exhibition title refers to “cooked tribes” (熟番). After 1940, the Ketagalan people integrated into Han society. Through the exhibition’s exploration of their origins, visitors may discover that they themselves are descendants of indigenous peoples, thereby reviving historical memory and truly promoting respect for ethnic diversity.

Among the 36 Ketagalan cultural relics on display from the museum’s collection, many are making their first public appearance. Notably, a divination tool box used by shamans of the Sandiao Village is likely the only one of its kind in history, featuring mysterious painted and carved designs that are highly aesthetic. Another piece, an “upright carved plaque of a human figure wearing a double-diamond crown,” is a unique carving specific to the Ketagalan people of the Taipei area and the Kavalan people of the Yilan area. The stylized human figures, wearing tall crowns and waist skirts, are among the most important characteristics of the carvings of the northern Pingpu tribes.

In addition to artifacts, the exhibition also includes historical documents and images related to the Ketagalan people, such as “A Portrait of Da Biao and A-Pian of the Mali Xikou Village Tribal People in the 28th Year of Qianlong (1763),” a handprint contract from the 18th century (1763) signed by Ketagalan people of Mali Xikou Village (now Songshan District) inviting others to cultivate land; another item is the “Description Map of Spanish Ports in the Island of Formosa,” a 1935 Japanese-era reproduction by Shimizu Setsue of Pedro de Vera’s circa 1626 “Description Map of Spanish Ports in the Island of Formosa.” It depicts the northern areas of Keelung and Tamsui occupied by the Spanish, reflecting the Spanish understanding of North Taiwan’s geography in the early 17th century.

The exhibition is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays and national holidays). For more details, please call (02)2898-6500 or visit www.ketagalan.taipei.gov.tw or http://beitoumuseum.taipei.gov.tw.