The National Taiwan Museum is well-known throughout the country for its anthropology collection. Because NTM was founded under the Japanese colonial government, its initial anthropology collection was shaped by the desire to study the cultural diversity and customs of Taiwan’s indigenous tribes. The major figure in charge of this effort was Mori Ushinosuke, an anthropologist who first came to Taiwan in 1895 as an interpreter. While working under the famous Japanese anthropologist Torii Ryuzo, he learned how to survey the locals, speak several indigenous languages, and take photographs. From 1896 to 1915, Mori did extensive fieldwork with the indigenous peoples he befriended and led archaeological excavations at Taiwanese prehistoric sites. His records and collected artifacts made up most of the museum’s early anthropology collection.
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| Paiwan ancestor posts at the National Taiwan Museum |
One collection highlight from NTM is the ancestor posts (“bobo”) from the Paiwan tribe of southern Taiwan. Found in the chieftain’s house, these carved wooden posts symbolize the family’s ancestors and display the household’s prestige. The older ones on display at the museum feature carved human faces. A more modern example is the post showing a son on the shoulders of his mother. The bottom individual can be identified as female by the positioning of her hands: because they are placed open in front of the chest, they represent “comfort.” In contrast, if they were closed fists, they would represent “power” and identify the figure as male. The modern ancestor post also demonstrates Paiwan social structure. Status in the tribe is clearly delineated, but both males and females can become the chieftain, as this is chosen by whoever is born first in the family.
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Stay tuned for the next post, where the similar artform of Palauan itabori will be discussed!
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