Lukkus-Pintoan Headhunter Costume

Atayal People, Taiwan
19th-very early 20th Century
Ramie, raveled trade wool, shell disk beads
19 x 38 in / 48 x 96.5 cm
Price on Request

Ex Collection Valerie Hector

Robes of this type are the most important of all Taiwan Aboriginal costumes and were exclusively worn by successful headhunters of the Atayal people. Exceptionally rare, they were profoundly labor intensive to create. The red color represents the Blood of Life, the linear geometry of the beading, the Rainbow Path of the Ancestors. The hand pierced shell beads represent thousands of hours of stored value.