Kaifuna, from We Are TIger Dragon People series
“Kaifuna” from We Are Tiger Dragon People series, edition of 10
"Naze name brao" translates as weaving slowly in Dulong language. While today the fabrics are weaved from wool, Dulong women traditionally weaved their blankets from hemp. Kaifuna lives along the Dulong River in Northwest Yunnan Province along the borders of Tibet and Myanmar. Using bamboo needles and ink made from ashes from the bottoms of pans, Dulong girls got their tattoos at puberty and each clan had its own set of designs. The origin is not clear, but some claim it was to make them unattractive to powerful neighboring tribes who enslaved the Dulong and went after their women. Dulong women believe that their tattoos resemble butterflies and that the souls of their dead turned into butterflies. As of 2013, there were only 28 tattooed Dulong women left. Additionally, the printable hemp that I used in this book has been discontinued.
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