Taiwan Austronesians

yuanzhumin · 12th October 2007, 02:52 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

12th October 2007, 02:52 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