Taiwan Austronesians

yuanzhumin · 12th October 2007, 03:52 PM

These Taiwanese austronesian weapons entered my collection recently.They are not yet on my website (they will be soon), but I wanted to give you a preview as I know you would appreciate them.

1 A Yami fish skin armour with its helmet (end of 19th cent.)
46 x 43 cm
Made with rattan, wood, coconut bark, fish skin
Yami (Tawu) people, Orchids Island, Taiwan
Except the Yami, the other Formosan aborigines didn’t use any armour in fightings. This body armour is beautifully made with rattan and fish skin sewn on coconut bark, with some wood structures. The fish skin is a material that, once dried, is hard enough to protect against strikes, even from a spear. The use of such a material is unic among the Austronesian people, but is very logic for fishermen like the Yami. Not head hunters, the Yami fought frequently among each other to settle disputes or to revenge insults. Most of the time the fightings affected the community, through family groups, and could easily become inter-village fightings.

2 A Yami long fighting knife (1920s)
66 x 6 cm
Made with iron, wood
Yami (Tawu) people, Orchids Island, Taiwan
The Yami use 3 types of knives. This one, in particular, is very long and with a characteristic upward tip. The sheath and the handle are simple. This is a fighting knife that can be used also for working. Some fighting knives, exclusively used for fighting, are in wood – the purpose being to hurt, not to kill. The Yami people are also very well known for the hanging dagger called takkurus, that is a largely symbolic weapon, always carried by men when going outdoors as an ornament and to "fight"/repel the evil spirits. I think I displayed one of mine in a previous thread.

3 A Pingpu knife (end of 19th cent.)
48 x 6 cm
Wood, iron, vegetal string, coins, horn, brass
Pingpu people, Taiwan
With a shape close to Atayal or Amis knives but with some strong Chinese characteristics, this knife is in a transitional style that is typical of the Pingpu, the Austronesian people from the plains that were influenced early by the Chinese immigrants. The Pingpu were finally assimilated among the Taiwanese population, by opposition to the highlands aboriginal groups that are till today forming a distinct group.

yuanzhumin

www.formosatribal.com

yuanzhumin · 12th October 2007, 04:07 PM

The other pictures :

VANDOO · 12th October 2007, 06:53 PM

CONGRADULATIONS ON SOME VERY INTERESTING ITEMS

THE ARMOR APPEARS TO BE FROM FISH BELONGING TO THE TRIGGER FISH FAMILY "BALISTIDAE". THE LARGEST IS THE TITAN TRIGGERFISH "BALISTOIDES VIRIDESCENS" SO IT WOULD BE A GOOD POSSIBILITY IF IT IS FOUND IN THOSE WATERS. I AM NOT AWARE OF THIS TYPE OF ARMOR BEING USED ELSEWHERE BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN AS THESE FISH ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE THRU OUT THE WORLD.

IN NORTH AMERICA THE SKIN OF THE GARFISH WAS SAID TO BE USED AS ARMOR AS WELL AS ARROW QUIVERS AND POINTS BY SOME TRIBES.

Matt Splatt · 14th October 2007, 09:55 AM

Thanks for sharing the pictures. That's wild armour, never seen anything like it.

yuanzhumin · 14th October 2007, 04:51 PM

Many thanks.
The Yami people, also called Tawu, live in Lanyu, a small island located around 40km south east of Taiwan. The island is also known under the name Orchid Island or also its old name, Botel Tobago.
For the one interested, I copied here after a link to the excellent article of Inez de Beauclair about the weapons and fighting traditions of the Yami.

http://www.sinica.edu.tw/~dlproj/article/ET-t/ET22.html

yuanzhumin · 14th October 2007, 04:53 PM

Many thanks.
The Yami people, also called Tawu, live in Lanyu, a small island located around 40km south east of Taiwan. The island is also known under the name Orchid Island or also its old name, Botel Tobago.
For the one interested, I copied here after a link to the excellent article of Inez de Beauclair about the weapons and fighting traditions of the Yami.

http://www.sinica.edu.tw/~dlproj/article/ET-t/ET22.html

yuanzhumin
www.formosatribal.com

VANDOO · 15th October 2007, 06:14 AM

THANKS FOR THE VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE IT COVERED A LOT OF MY INTRESTS AS WELL AS GOOD INFORMATION ON THE YAMI TRIBAL GROUP. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES OF THE WAR CLUBS AND THE ARMORED HATS. I AM ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN OCEANIC CLUBS BUT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE TYPES USED ON TAIWAN AND SURROUNDING AREAS.
I HAVE ADDED A COUPLE OF PICTURES OF TRIGGERFISH THE LARGE ONE IS THE TITAN AND THE SMALLER ONE IS A ORANGE LINED TRIGGER. SOME TRIGGERFISH CAN BE VERY AGGRESIVE AND WILL EVEN ATTACK DIVERS THE TITAN IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS DUE TO ITS SIZE, BITE AND ATTITUDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN NESTING.

12th October 2007, 03:52 PM	#1
yuanzhumin Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China Posts: 180	Taiwan Austronesians These Taiwanese austronesian weapons entered my collection recently.They are not yet on my website (they will be soon), but I wanted to give you a preview as I know you would appreciate them. 1 A Yami fish skin armour with its helmet (end of 19th cent.) 46 x 43 cm Made with rattan, wood, coconut bark, fish skin Yami (Tawu) people, Orchids Island, Taiwan Except the Yami, the other Formosan aborigines didn’t use any armour in fightings. This body armour is beautifully made with rattan and fish skin sewn on coconut bark, with some wood structures. The fish skin is a material that, once dried, is hard enough to protect against strikes, even from a spear. The use of such a material is unic among the Austronesian people, but is very logic for fishermen like the Yami. Not head hunters, the Yami fought frequently among each other to settle disputes or to revenge insults. Most of the time the fightings affected the community, through family groups, and could easily become inter-village fightings. 2 A Yami long fighting knife (1920s) 66 x 6 cm Made with iron, wood Yami (Tawu) people, Orchids Island, Taiwan The Yami use 3 types of knives. This one, in particular, is very long and with a characteristic upward tip. The sheath and the handle are simple. This is a fighting knife that can be used also for working. Some fighting knives, exclusively used for fighting, are in wood – the purpose being to hurt, not to kill. The Yami people are also very well known for the hanging dagger called takkurus, that is a largely symbolic weapon, always carried by men when going outdoors as an ornament and to "fight"/repel the evil spirits. I think I displayed one of mine in a previous thread. 3 A Pingpu knife (end of 19th cent.) 48 x 6 cm Wood, iron, vegetal string, coins, horn, brass Pingpu people, Taiwan With a shape close to Atayal or Amis knives but with some strong Chinese characteristics, this knife is in a transitional style that is typical of the Pingpu, the Austronesian people from the plains that were influenced early by the Chinese immigrants. The Pingpu were finally assimilated among the Taiwanese population, by opposition to the highlands aboriginal groups that are till today forming a distinct group. yuanzhumin www.formosatribal.com Attached Images

12th October 2007, 04:07 PM	#2
yuanzhumin Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China Posts: 180	The other pictures : Attached Images Last edited by yuanzhumin; 13th October 2007 at 02:19 AM. Reason: Change photo

14th October 2007, 04:51 PM	#5
yuanzhumin Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China Posts: 180	The Yami people and their weapons Many thanks. The Yami people, also called Tawu, live in Lanyu, a small island located around 40km south east of Taiwan. The island is also known under the name Orchid Island or also its old name, Botel Tobago. For the one interested, I copied here after a link to the excellent article of Inez de Beauclair about the weapons and fighting traditions of the Yami. http://www.sinica.edu.tw/~dlproj/article/ET-t/ET22.html

14th October 2007, 04:53 PM	#6
yuanzhumin Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ex-Taipei, Taiwan, now in Shanghai, China Posts: 180	The Yami people and their weapons Many thanks. The Yami people, also called Tawu, live in Lanyu, a small island located around 40km south east of Taiwan. The island is also known under the name Orchid Island or also its old name, Botel Tobago. For the one interested, I copied here after a link to the excellent article of Inez de Beauclair about the weapons and fighting traditions of the Yami. http://www.sinica.edu.tw/~dlproj/article/ET-t/ET22.html yuanzhumin www.formosatribal.com

15th October 2007, 06:14 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THANKS FOR THE VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE IT COVERED A LOT OF MY INTRESTS AS WELL AS GOOD INFORMATION ON THE YAMI TRIBAL GROUP. I WAS WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY PICTURES OF THE WAR CLUBS AND THE ARMORED HATS. I AM ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN OCEANIC CLUBS BUT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE TYPES USED ON TAIWAN AND SURROUNDING AREAS. I HAVE ADDED A COUPLE OF PICTURES OF TRIGGERFISH THE LARGE ONE IS THE TITAN AND THE SMALLER ONE IS A ORANGE LINED TRIGGER. SOME TRIGGERFISH CAN BE VERY AGGRESIVE AND WILL EVEN ATTACK DIVERS THE TITAN IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS DUE TO ITS SIZE, BITE AND ATTITUDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN NESTING. Attached Images

12th October 2007, 06:53 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	CONGRADULATIONS ON SOME VERY INTERESTING ITEMS THE ARMOR APPEARS TO BE FROM FISH BELONGING TO THE TRIGGER FISH FAMILY "BALISTIDAE". THE LARGEST IS THE TITAN TRIGGERFISH "BALISTOIDES VIRIDESCENS" SO IT WOULD BE A GOOD POSSIBILITY IF IT IS FOUND IN THOSE WATERS. I AM NOT AWARE OF THIS TYPE OF ARMOR BEING USED ELSEWHERE BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN AS THESE FISH ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE THRU OUT THE WORLD. IN NORTH AMERICA THE SKIN OF THE GARFISH WAS SAID TO BE USED AS ARMOR AS WELL AS ARROW QUIVERS AND POINTS BY SOME TRIBES.

14th October 2007, 09:55 AM	#4
Matt Splatt Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 31	Thanks for sharing the pictures. That's wild armour, never seen anything like it.