The Dye Plants of Tavarong Amis

• Main Authors: Ho, Hsiu-Lan, 何秀蘭
• Other Authors: Hsu Kau-Shih
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 1996
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/00190098898377078775

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 自然資源管理研究所 === 84 === Abstract:The Dye Plant of Tavarong Amis This thesis deals with the dye plants of the Amis tribe at Tavarong, Hualien,Taiwan. Most of dyeing materials used by Tavarong Amis are dye plants. Theycollect dye plants from around the house and from the public hunt-fields. They have a traditional sustainable use of dye plants. They harvest dye materials from plants seasonally from limited areas when they need them. Because of beingin constant contact with outsiders, they have lost some of their dyeing culture.Based on field studies, there are 12 families, 13 genus, 14 species dye plantsstill being used by Tavarong Amis: they are Areca catechu、Dioscorea formosana、Diospyros discolor、 Diospyros kaki、Gnaphalium affine、Lactuca indica、Laportea pterostigma、Lepidagathis inaequalis、Luffa aegyptiaca、 Miscanthus floridulus、Morus alba、Murraya paniculata、Polygonum multiflorum、Paederia scandens. There are no standard method for dyeing. Tribemen always take the dyeing materials, cut it into small pieces with a knife, put them in a mortar andpounded with a pestle into paste, add water abd boil (sometimes add some ash orsome other plants as mordants) until the color remains constant, soak the article of clothing or cloth in the solution for one or several days. Color is selected subjectively according to one''''''''s likes. Dioscorea formosana (represent red)、 Miscanthus floridulus(yellow)、Gnaphaliumaffine (green)、Areca catechu (black), four dye plants, and seven mordants, werechosen and three kinds of pure natural fibers were dyed with them in this experiment. The following results were obtained:1. Discorea formosana Produced orange and coffee color series.2. Miscanthus floridulus Produced orange, green, yellow to coffee, and yellow color series.3. Gnaphalium affine produced green, orange, and coffee color series.4. Areca catechu produced orange, coffee, and black color series. Generally, Tavarong Amis tribemen tend to like orange, yellow, coffee, black,and green color series, and show a lack of interest in blue,red and purple colorseries. Silk has a best lustrous plant color, ramie next, coton barely satisfactory. Two conclusions can be drawn from this research:1. The traditional pratice of sustainable use of dye plants by the Tavarong Amis provides a good model for formulating a policy for plant resource conseration2. Clor samples produced from dye plants in this research provides a database for developing and producing dye materials for industrial and handicraft articles. This ethnobotanical research investigated Tavarong Amis tribe''''''''s sustainable use of dye plants using their traditional dying methods. It is hoped that dataobtained in the dye color experiments will aid in promoting the development ofindustrial and handicraft business of the Tavarong Amis community.