Introduction

      

The Paiwan believe that the tribe was born from a ceramic pot. The Deinagkistrodon acutus is believed to be the ancestor and protector of the Paiwan. Old pots decorated with these snakes or with breasts, were sacred items that were only owned by chiefs or aristocrats and ordinary people were forbidden to touch. Pots decorated with Deinagkistrodon acutus alone were sacred and were status symbols owned just by the chiefs and higher classes. Pots decorated with triangles etc pattern were also sacred and exclusive to chiefs and higher class people. 　　Ceramic pots have great symbolic value in Paiwan culture and would only be displayed during important ceremonies or weddings. The pots would be inherited by the eldest son and the other siblings given a piece broken from the pot mouth to serve as their family’s sacred object.