Female Body Painting

Two native tribal women of the Matsés indigenous people illustrating common face ornamentation, face tattoos, and female body painting. The Matsés first made permanent contact with the outside world in 1969 when two female American missionaries convinced them to make peace with the Peruvian government. Before this, the Matsés were in a state of war with outsiders. Shortly later, they made peace with FUNAI governmental officials on the Brazilian side of the border. These Matsés women painted each other with annatto ("achiote") red dye. The red pigment comes from the seeds of Bixa orellana. This is a small tree is a tree that is found throughout the Amazon and the only species in the plant family Bixaceae. This tree only reaches approximately 30 feet in height and has scarlett flowers about 5 centimeters wide. The seed pods are approximately 3 inches in length and contain the deep red-colored pigment.

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