Ms. Lan’s children’s hat collection began by accident – walking down an old alley in Taipei years ago, an old, embroidered, child’s hat displayed in a window caught her eye. She was drawn in by the fine details of the tiger motif on the front and learned from the shop owner that the hat was made a hundred years ago by a mother who wished her son would one day grow up to be as strong as a tiger. This sparked her interest – though not from a research perspective, but from a purely emotional place.
The popular motifs and symbols sewn onto traditional children’s hats in China are expressions of a mother’s hope and tender love for her child. Many of the patterns and motifs used come from popular folklore, legends, and religious beliefs. It is the utmost task of all parents to transmit their cultural heritage and family values to their children. Moral cultivation was one of the most important teachings in Chinese society. It was through the symbolism of head-wear, that Chinese mothers socialized their children to become loyal subject and devoted sons and daughters.
