The Lives and Culture of the Payuan People of Taiwan
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Connected Cups, Payuan people, Majia Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan, Second half of the 19th–start of the 20th century
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 13
September 26, 2023 (Tue) - November 19, 2023 (Sun)Taiwan’s population includes not only Han Chinese, who originally came from the mainland, but also 16 indigenous tribes. Of these tribes, the Payuan people based in southern Taiwan form a hereditary society that consists of two classes: the nobility and commoners.
This exhibit shows clothing and tools pertaining to the daily lives and culture of the Payuan people. Among these, two swords have designs incorporating a venomous snake that these people have long revered as a symbol of the nobility’s ancestral spirits. A vest, another object in the lineup, is made of clouded leopard fur―a material only chiefs, the highest-ranking members of the nobility, were allowed to wear. These and other objects on display reflect the social and spiritual values of the Payuan people.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Vest | Payuan people, Southern Taiwan | Second half of the 19th–start of the 20th century | TK-238 | |||
| Highlight | Connected Cups | Payuan people, Majia Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan | Second half of the 19th–start of the 20th century | TK-256 | |||
| Highlight | Sword | Payuan people, Southern Taiwan | Second half of the 19th–start of the 20th century | TK-529 |