These voodoo dolls are decorated with scarves, hats and other clothes July 10.
(Staff photo/Chen Mei-ling)
A girl told the store clerk that she dreamed of becoming a famous chef who could cook dishes from around the world, so she was looking for a doll that represented her goal. Unfortunately, the clerk told her there was no such doll ready for sale. The girl wanted a talisman that could grant her the luck and inspiration to fulfill her dreams. She was eager to find a guardian that could show her the way.
"That girl's request inspired me to create a new product," Jacky Tsai, one of the three founders of Ethnic Co. Ltd., a voodoo doll business, said July 10. Subsequently, the company created a new doll called "The God of Cookery." Made to look like a chef, the doll has a toque and wears a white uniform. "To differentiate ourselves from others, we offer creative designs and quality service. Each doll has his own special purpose," he said.
Tsai met his business partner Ivan Chen when they worked in the marketing department of the same company. Tsai said no matter how hard he worked on a project, the credit always went to his supervisor. As a result, the two colleagues and Tsai's friend Elaine Chen decided to start their own business. The three young people set up a roadside stand in a busy downtown area near Zhongxiao East Road and Dunhua South Road, where many youngsters would pass by. A graduate from the marketing department in Fu Jen Catholic University, Tsai said he learned the more similar the products, the stronger the competition. Therefore, he believed that he had to sell something unique.
In 2004, there was a fashion show in Milan featuring ethnic designs in clothes and accessories. Witnessing such creativity, Tsai predicted that ethnic designs would become popular in the near future, so he started to import jewelry from Southeast Asia, such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Later, the trio traveled to Thailand to find more products. They stumbled upon a stand selling dolls. Tsai's instinctive feeling was negative, and he thought the dolls must be evil because these looked like they were used to put curses on people. To his surprise, the operators of the stand were not witch doctors; they were all students trying to earn money to pay for their education.
The dolls were made of rough hemp, and the students used it to make figures. The little men did not look extraordinary, but the needles sticking out of the head and heart of the dolls evoked a feeling of uneasiness. With his marketing background, Tsai said the mysterious dolls would arouse people's curiosity. The dolls played a role in the voodoo religion, which was still very alien to most people. "That magic feeling got my imagination going," he said, referring to the dolls' commercial potential.
After returning to Taiwan, Tsai was motivated to create something different from the hemp dolls. He also did research to verify his negative impression of voodoo. "It's not like the common stereotype of cursing someone to death," he said. The tribes in western Africa still followed ancient ideas and worshiped nature, including the sky and the earth, as well as animals. Tribal people believed that spirits would bring health and strength to them, so 80 percent of the spirits were good and the rest were evil, he explained.
As Tsai studied further, he found voodoo to be similar to human nature. "There is darkness and light in everyone's heart. We just try to emphasize the bright side of life," he said, pointing out that people had a need to feel safe and the dolls served that purpose. Tsai offered several categories of dolls for about US$7.60, including those for protection, love and curses. People could select the dolls that best suited their needs.
For example, the kind-hearted "The Little Prince," the title character of the children's story by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, is meant to protect people from the dangers of society. The guardian prince holds a shield and sword in his hands, while his blue cloak floats in the air. For office workers, "The Mummy" combats overbearing bosses, managers and colleagues. The mummy is wrapped in layers of white bandages and has two needles puncturing its heart.
Not all of the voodoo dolls are mythological figures from history or fiction. For instance, one voodoo doll is dressed as a thief wearing a pinstriped prisoner's uniform. He carries a sack of stolen goods on his back. Inside the bag is a heart, not jewelry or cash. Tsai named the doll "The Heart Robber," for those eager to win the love of their sweetheart.
As far as Tsai was concerned, the biggest threat to his life was not voodoo dolls but the human beings who copied his original designs. The pirated products frustrated him and, even worse, killed his motivation to create. "There are many differences between a genuine doll and a copy," Tsai claimed.
The body of an authentic voodoo doll should be solid and hard, because the doll was tied with one string by hand, Tsai said. A pirated item, however, was often loosely tied and connected at the joints with more than one string. The shape of a fake doll was often disproportionate to the four limbs, with the body being too short or too long.
The eyes were another important feature to check, Tsai pointed out. The beads of the eyes should be sewn on the surface with a thread instead of being attached to the face with glue. Even a minor change can make a huge difference to the appearance of a voodoo doll, in the eyes of the original creator.
To attract customers to buy the real voodoo dolls from his company, Tsai offered warranties and after-sales service. He admitted that since the dolls were all handmade, it was impossible to produce identical dolls. For instance, the strings crossed at different places on the doll's face, some under the eyes and some above the forehead.
"Every doll is unique because the string must be tied by people. It is difficult to do mass production," Tsai explained. "Besides, machine-made products lack the charm of individuality." The dolls were all handmade, so knowing the correct way to maintain them became important. They could not be put into a washing machine, since the cotton string would expand and deform in the water. Tsai recommended applying liquid soap and then drying the doll with a vacuum cleaner.
The reason why he chose cotton string instead of hemp fiber was because cotton was commonly used in human clothing. Hemp seemed frightening, while cotton tended to feel soft and feminine, according to Tsai. In order to strike a balance among the different textures, he decided to use cotton string.
The addition of accessories to the dolls completed the effect. For instance, the dolls Tsai exported to Japan had more decorations, like a hat, cloak or weapon, than those he shipped to the United States. Tsai adapted the design of the dolls to suit different cultural inclinations. "For Japan, we send highly accessorized dolls and pack them in fancy boxes," Tsai explained. "Meanwhile, Americans prefer down-to-earth, simple designs."
In the beginning, voodoo dolls were a simply means to an end, a way for Tsai to go into business for himself. To his surprise, he ended up exploring voodoo religion and helping people reach their dreams.
http://taiwanjournal.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp? ... Item=24537
