#tapirape

Post 1: Valentino 

Post 2: Dayak people

Post 3: Tapirape people

Post 4: Dassenach people

The Tapirapé indigenous people is a Brazilian Indian tribe that survived the European conquest and subsequent colonization of the country, keeping with little changes most of their culture and customs. Stationed deep into the Amazon rainforest, they had little direct contact with Europeans until around 1910, and even then that contact was sporadic until the 1950s. 

The Tapirapé didn't use any clothing whatsoever in their daily life; but men were ashamed of their penis glans, which they covered with a small cone attached to the prepuce. Women squatted and sat with their legs together. Both women and men painted their bodies with diverse designs according to age and gender. On special ceremonies and dances they would also use skirts, anklets and wrist bands.

The last two images are of the ‘Cara Grande’, also called ‘Upé-mask’. These ‘Cara Grande’ masks consist of a wooden board, on which the coloured birds’ feathers are glued to create a large, stylised face. Formerly, the Tapirapé mainly used the blue and red feathers of the Ara parrot, yet for the detailed feather mosaic they also used feathers of other birds. These ‘Cara Grande’ masks were produced in mens’ houses and ‘danced with’ during feasts in the dry season. Each ‘Cara Grande’ mask has a name, but it may not be spoken aloud. Generally it is the name of a killed Karajá warrior. The far more numerous Karajá live near the Rio Araguaia and are neighbours of the Tapirapé. Since time immemorial, the Tapirapé and the Karajá have been enemies and do battle with each other. Therefore the Tapirapé never speak the name of a ‘Cara Grande’ mask out loud, in order not to provoke or insult the dangerous Karajá.