Clothing of Atayal Females
The clothing of females consisted of headband, head ornaments, chest cloth, cape, skirt and leggings. Clothing was mainly woven from ramie fiber. Ramie had to be cultivated and harvested. Then, the outer bark was removed to obtain the fibers which were dried in the sun, separated, bleached, twisted into thread, spun, washed and arranged to design the warp. Then, finally they could be used for weaving. Plant materials or minerals were used as dyes. Red and white were the preferred colors. Later on, other materials and dyeing methods were introduced. Now, dyed thread and yarn can be easily obtained and the colors used include blue, yellow, red, black and white.
Rhombuses and transverse lines were the basic elements of patterned woven textiles and were used in combination. Plain weave was the main technique used. Multicolored horizontal lines on traditional clothing were referred to by the Atayal as rainbow bridge. In addition, weavers referred to the rhombus pattern as "eyes". This pattern symbolized the protection of the ancestral spirits.
Atayal women were very skilled at weaving. Traditionally, Atayal girls began to learn weaving techniques from the age of 13 or 14, usually from a woman in their family. As weaving was considered women's work, Atayal males could not enter ramie fields and could not touch any equipment related to weaving. In addition, their hunting weapons, such as rifle, spear and knife, could not be placed on a weaving loom. Weaving was considered an important job for a woman and determined her social position, as well as showcased her talent. In traditional Atayal society, a woman's social status was decided by her weaving ability. A female had to be proficient at weaving to earn the honor of receiving facial tattoos, to be eligible for marriage and to cross the rainbow bridge to where the ancestors dwell following death.
Plain weave was the most common type of weave used. It could be used for cloth that was relatively wide and long. More than a decade ago, an indigenous cultural revival began and included a call to preserve Atayal weaving methods. As the Atayal plain weave is simple and easy to learn, members of other tribes began their study of weaving techniques with the plain weave. Among the Atayal, cloth of plain weave was used to make bed sheets, bundle wraps, work clothes and loincloths.
Twill weave is another weaving technique used by Atayal women. Rhombus and twill-patterned woven cloth was used in everyday life and for formal capes, leggings and skirts. Formal clothing was made using brocade weave and brocade weave accompanied by strands of shell beads and can be seen in some Atayal communities.
