Matses Jaguar Clan

Matsés warrior from the Jaguar Clan. The round spots on his crown identify him as a member of this clan. Note the permanent tattoos around his mouth and along his cheeks. The Marubos had similar tattoos, but without the accentuated lines below the lower lip. In addition, they tattooed the lips, giving them a "black-lipped" appearance. At one time this man wore "whiskers" on his upper lip and you can still see the small scars where they were once inserted. In addition, you can see that he tattooed his chest with the same style of tattoos that he has on his face. The tied belts of "huicungo" palm around his chest are characteristic of the Matsés tribe, with no other tribes in the Javari River Valley known to wear these traditional belts.

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