Glass beads are one of the treasures of the Paiwan tribe. As there were no records left on how to make these beads or the materials that were used, Paiwan artists in Sandimen Township in Taiwan’s southern Pingtung County have carried out research to re-create them, each one with a special motif and meaning, such as an eye (symbolizing protection), feathers of a peacock (symbolizing love), the lily flower or tears of the sun.

    These artists have also been working to apply these motifs to more contemporary, but still handmade, glass bead works. For example, this necklace, with 22” adjustable woven chain, features a black glass bead that mimics the shape of an pottery vessel, another of the treasures of the Paiwan.

    This vessel is only for the use of the chieftain and is stored in his/her home. It is sacred, as it is considered to be the dwelling place of the ancestral spirits. Thus, it is never used in daily life, but only for special rites. It features two hundred-pace pit vipers (scientific name: Deinagkistrodon acutus), considered the most toxic of the Asian pit vipers. To the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, the hundred-pace pit viper is highly revered, especially among the Paiwan, Rukai and Bunun tribes.