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Male Sleeveless Short Garment
This sleeveless, collarless, double-breasted short garment is made by sewing two folded pieces of long cloth together, with a base of white linen thread interwoven with red and black woolen yarn. The back is red with black lines woven across it, and three diamond-shaped patterns move from up to bottom. The front is woven with red and white stripes. Four-holed white plastic buttons are stitched onto the front and at the edging. Three pairs of red woolen laces and straps are attached to the garment. The ends of the straps are decorated with tassels and white buttons. Six round shell pieces are also sewn on the front.

These short garments can only be worn by veteran headhunters as they return triumphantly from a successful mission. Garments stitched with round shell pieces are further limited to those who have been on successful headhunting missions several times, or chiefs and heads of a clan.

 

National Taiwan Museum Digitizing Project of Formosan Aborigines  Collections: the Atayal