Formosa Hill Tribe Swords ( for Yuanzhumin )

[Ian]

Yuanzhumin:

Thank you for the prompt and informative responses. I think there are several people here who have collected these knives over the years. Apart from the book, Material Culture of the Formosan Aborigines by Professor Chen Chi-Lu, I have found very little to describe these swords and knives. The older ones I have handled have been uniformly well made with well forged blades, and sheaths that have been carved and fitted to the knives with considerable skill.

There are, of course, modern "interpretations" which seem to have been made for the tourist industry. These come up from time to time on eBay and are usually mislabeled as "African" because of the animalistic carvings to the sheath and handles. I have seen both straight and curved varieties of these modern knives and swords, none of which have the quality of older pieces.

Can you shed any light on whether knives and swords are still being made in the traditional manner by the respective Taiwanese aboriginal groups?

Ian.