Japanese and Philippine Adornment

Overview: Tattoos and adornment have been a central part of Asian culture, especially in countries like Japan and the Philippines.  In Japan, the indigenous Ainu people carry a unique tattooing tradition, limited to and performed only by female tribe members, intended to achieve ideal beauty. In the Philippines, there lies two sets of adornment that were important to their culture and way of life; body tattoos and beads.  The topic of tattoos in the Philippines takes into consideration the social context in which the Filipino tattoo has evolved into over time, and a basic idea of its importance and how it connects with both historical reference as well as how it is perceived in modern culture throughout.  Following their significance in application to the modern world, the Philippines has also been known for their beads...

JAPAN

Steve Beckham and Garrett Kellogg                                          

Tattooing and Ideal Beauty

Steve Beckham

     Thoughts of indigenous culture make the mind journey to varied climates and geographies, but rarely does one consider Japan in the same sentence as tribe. The native Ainu, in northern Hokkaido, whose language ironically has no word for "art" are an illustrative indigenous tribe with cultural history dating back to the fourteenth century. Among the various displays of adornment within the Ainu, one of the most prominent is facial tattooing on female members. 

An example of a facial tattoo design of an Ainu woman.

Traditional Dress

Garrett Kellogg

     The Ainu have been very resourceful on the island of Hokkaido.  Using the Japanese elm tree and other plants in their environment to create robes for ceremonial and everyday uses.  The traditional Ainu robe, known as Attush, is a treasure for many art museums for its delicate embroidery and patterning.  Ainu robes are worn during the “Iyomante”, a dance to send bears’ spirits back to heaven, worn to protect them from malicious spirits and keep them warm throughout the year.   

THE PHILIPPINES

Mark Anthony and Mariya Kochubey

Basic History and Social Impact of Tattoos in the Philippines

Mark Anthony A.

     Headhunting in the Philippines was a common practice amongst the many tribes in various provinces that included Luzon and Visaya; usually these achievements of taking the head of enemies were document through tattoos telling the story of how many heads a warrior took, and their current rank of importance within his group.  However, around the twentieth century, when the United States took over the Philippines, the practice of headhunting began to dwindle due to outlawing--and the tattoos associated with this custom slowly started to disappear over time.  In modern society, any form of tattoo on the body seems to lend itself to being automatically attributed to criminals and gang members alike--seen in a negative light contrary to the sudden revival of the tattoo by the modern youth who long to reestablish his or her roots with the past.

Beads in the Philippines and their Structural Importance in Society

Mariya Kochubey

     While tattoos were an integral part to the history of the Philippines, none could surprisingly be important as was the case in the form of beads.  Beads were seen as a precious commodity in the Philippines for several years, even prior to Spain's arrival on their shores in the sixteenth century.  Geographically close to other countries situated in the Pacific Ocean, trading was a common practice well before Spain's colonization and were used commonly as an engagement to this industry.  No matter the material of which these beads were made, there were many varieties that ranged from being produced cheaply or highly valuable.  The most valuable ones were used in marriage negotiations between suitors and families, alike.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES

[Web links to sources, etc...  interest...]