tribaltextiles.info

Here are two new additions to my library both dealing with Taiwan Aboriginal peoples:
1. Hsu, Ya Hui (1999). Treasures of the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines. Taipei: Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines. (ISBN 9579976732)

This beautifully illustrated book gives in full colour plates the entire Museum collection on public display - textiles, ritual and everyday articles. Hard cover in half slipcase. Full text in English and Chinese with the Japanese translation given in a supplementary booklet.

2. Yuasa, Hiroshi (2000). Segawa's Illustrated Ethnography of Indigenous Formosan People - The Tsou. Taipei: SMC Publishing. (ISBN 9576385547)

This is an incredible book (following on from earlier research undertaken by Segawa on the Yami (Tao) of Taiwan) is written in Chinese, English and Japanese. This beautifully illustrated account is quite incredible using photographs taken before World War II (the information of which was updated in the 1980's by both Segawa and the author). This is an amazing insight into a group whose dress has been almost entirely sinicized and rarely seen. The text is engaging on a number of levels - ethnobotany, ritual, social and linguistic all round an very welcome addition to a library.
Regards
Iain

Just found a huge album set entitled: -

Taiwan Banzoku Zufu -- Taiwan Fanzu Tupu

Pictorial Compendium of Taiwanese Aboriginals

Taibei 1994 2 vols in large box with seperate booket wich contains a Chinese translation of the text. The work is in Japanese and Chinese, the captions identifing the tribal groups are in English as well which is really useful.
The book is a reprint of an important photographic record of Taiwanese aboriginal life originaly produced during the Japanese occupation and published in Tokyo in 1918.
The photos dominate this work and most show the interesting costumes worn for every day and ceremonial life. An invaluable record of the tribes at the begining of the 20th century
I am led to believe the book is now out of print and Hanshan Tang whom I bought it from may be unable to get another.

Iain, are you familiar with this title? Maybe if you have not already got it you may still stumble across it in Taiwan

Greetings Siriol
I have discovered that the reprint is like a hen's tooth - hard to find - and was fortunate enough to find a copy of the original version in a bookstore in Longtan of all places! (Longtan is a very small town in rural Taiwan). I would enjoy having the reprint too so the search is ongoing.
Regards
Iain

Iain had briefed us on the Segawa's extraordinary book about the Tsou, and I would like now to announce that another of Segawa's book, on the Bunun this time, has been republished, once more with the help of the professor Yuasa Hiroshi.
Reference : Yuasa, Hiroshi (2009). Segawa's Illustrated Ethnography of Indigenous Formosan People - The Bunun. Taipei: SMC Publishing. (ISBN 9789576387166)
This book is made exactly on the same way as the one on the Tsou : it is a very complete study about the Bunun and their daily life, illustrated by photographs from the 30s accompanied by very detailed texts. There are more than 20 illustrated and informative pages only on the fur tanning, weaving, dying, knitting techniques of the Bunun.