嶋語 isle.felt

Huǒ Lín È (Fire Scaled Crocodile) is a mythical legend from Penghu, an outlying island of Taiwan. According to the story, a fisherman from Penghu fell in love with the daughter of the Dragon King of the Sea. However, their love was discovered by the Dragon King, who separated them. The fisherman was transformed into a giant crocodile with golden scales, while the daughter was turned into golden coral. Despite the transformation, the fisherman, now Huǒ Lín È, remained deeply in love with the princess and faithfully guarded the golden coral by her side.

The love story of Huǒ Lín È is deeply moving and has been passed down through generations. This mythical creature, with its massive golden-scaled body, symbolizes unwavering love and resilience. The golden coral represents the beauty of enduring love.

The now-extinct Penghu crocodile, a species of long-snouted crocodile, has had its fossils excavated and preserved at the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung.

Inspired by the Penghu crocodile and the touching love story of Huǒ Lín È and the princess, I created the “Huǒ Lín È – Guardian of Relationships" jewelry organizer box. The design features Huǒ Lín È in a protective, encircling posture, with a treasure box covered in coral at its center, symbolizing the crocodile’s role in safeguarding human relationships.
I hope this jewelry organizer box helps strengthen bonds and ensures lasting love for its users.

● Dimensions: Huǒ Lín È – 26 cm x 15 cm (H) x 26 cm (D)
● Materials: Macaron wool (Merino short fiber wool), wool pellets, silk thread, DMC cotton thread, metallic thread, non-woven fabric base.
● Techniques: Coiling technique, wrapping technique, strip and sphere forms, soft sculpture, blended gradient, embroidery, mixed-media integration.

Legends and Myths:
A fierce storm ravaged Penghu, with torrential rain and towering waves.
The next day, when the waves calmed and the storm subsided, a creature emerged from the sea and landed ashore. It was over two zhang (approximately 6.5 meters) in length, with four legs and golden scales that shimmered like fire. Its body was surrounded by dazzling flames. Soldiers and villagers, astonished by the sight, offered sacrifices of paper money and other offerings to guide the creature back into the water.
Three days later, the creature emerged again under the cover of night, climbed a mountain, and was found dead beneath the kitchen of a villager named Lin Ying.
(Taiwan Records – Qing Dynasty, Jiang Ri-Sheng)

Taiwanese Wildlife:
The Penghu crocodile (Penghusuchus), an extinct species of long-snouted crocodile, lived during the mid-to-late Miocene epoch. Fossil specimens were discovered in the Miocene strata of the Yuwengdao Formation along the coast of Nei’an Village, Xiyu Township, Penghu, Taiwan. The specimens include nearly an entire skeleton. The species was described in 2009 by Tan He-Ying and colleagues, with the type species named Penghusuchus pani. It is estimated to have been a medium-sized long-snouted crocodile, measuring approximately 4.5 to 5 meters in length.