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Welcome

Learning Experiences Outside the ClassromTe Tuhi Centre for the Arts

Phone: (09) 577 0138 ext 7703jeremy@tetuhi.org.nz

Jeremy Leatinu’uEducation Coordinator

Stories from the PacificTe Tuhi Pre visit lesson 1

Welcome to Stories from the Pacific

Over the next few lessons we will learn about…

Polynesian tapa

Inspired by tapa

Designing our story

Image: http://www.nationalgeographicstock.com/ngsimages/explore/explore.jsf?p=R09SRE9OIEdBSEFO

Let’s start this Let’s start this lesson by exploring lesson by exploring Polynesian tapa.Polynesian tapa.

Image: http://www.nationalgeographicstock.com/ngsimages/explore/explore.jsf

Firstly, what is Polynesian Tapa?

Polynesian Tapa is an art form, developed and refined over the last few hundred years and unique to many cultures in the Pacific.

2. The bark is stripped from the tree and beaten to stretch the bark.

4. Once the tapa cloth is dry it is placed over a rubbing tablet covered with dye. The tapa is rubbed over the tablet so the dye and pattern show through.

1. Originally a native of East Asia, the paper mulberry tree is most commonly used to make Polynesian tapa.

3. Other pieces are joined together and beaten, creating a large cloth. Some tapa cloth can be as long as 100 metres!

Making Tapa

Image:Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.http://tropicalbrowns.blogspot.co.nz/2008/10/tonga-part-ii.html http://www.siapo.com/rubbingmethod.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapa_cloth#Fabrication

5. Once the dye is dry the pattern is highlighted and decorated in brown and black dye. Many symbols or pattern used in tapa reflect things of the land and sea such as plants, trees, birds, turtles and insects.

How many different Pacific cultures make tapa?

Image: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Terence-Wesley_Smith/2347

Polynesian tapa is made in…

• Samoa

• Tonga

• Uvea (Wallis Island) and Futuna

• Niue

• Cook Islands

• Tahiti

• Hawaii

• Fiji

• Vanuatu

• Santa Cruz Islands

• Solomon Islands

• Papua New Guinea

Do all Polynesian Tapa look the same?

Each tapa is different in its own way.

Sometimes the difference is in how the cloth is made, what colours are used, what patterns and signs are drawn and how the images are arranged on the bark cloth.

Lets take a closer look at some of the tapa made around the Pacific.

Grids and symbols

Samoan tapa: Siapo

Fijian tapa: Masi

Grids or squares are seen often in tapa design, such as siapo and masi.

Square or rectangular templates with symbols and pattern are made and rubbed onto the cloth with dye. This is repeated throughout the tapa creating the appearance of a grid.

For others the grid is simply painted on creating individual spaces for simple symbols and motif.

What might the symbols in this Siapo and Masi reflect?

Tongan tapa: Ngatu

Uvea tapa: Ngatu

Ngatu as it is known in Tonga and Uvea (Wallis Island) also use the grid in their tapa design.

Symbols and patterns can become very distinctive and can tell us where the tapa was made. In the siapo and masi examples earlier we saw plants, flowers and leaves as symbols.

Ngatu from Tonga have distinctive symbols and are perhaps the only culture to include a shield (of Tonga), a lion and dove. All three symbols reflect events in Tonga’s history.

Image: Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.

Nature and pattern

Tapa made from Eromanga, Vanuatu: Nemasitse

As we have seen in siapo and masi, nature inspires many tapa design.

Different types of leaves inspire the decoration of tapa. They can be repeated throughout, creating a pattern like arrangement as seen in this nemasitse.

Tahitian tapa scarf Ahufara.

Designs on Tahitian tapa also reflect nature but not through drawing symbols.

Leaves and fern fronds are dipped in dye and pressed against the cloth leaving an accurate portrait of the leaf.

Colour and line

Each Pacific culture chooses specific colours and certain drawing tools to decorate their tapa.

Tapa made from Papua New Guinea use red from vegetable dyes and black and brown from charocal and certain muds.

Tapa, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea

Kapa from Hawaii also use a range of different colours including yellow, red, brown and black.

To decorate kapa a range of tools are used, from multi-pronged pens that look like forks to patterned bamboo printing stamps.

Hawaiian Tapa: KapaImage: Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/general/SearchResults.aspx?dataset=Tapa&c_image_hasdata=checked&c_image_forcelogic=and&c_countryplaceoforigin_search=hawaii&Page=2

Circular

Arranging symbols using a grid has become a common practice when designing tapa, including hiapo.

However in hiapo design a curricular arrangement is also used.

Nuiean Tapa: Hiapo

Image: Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.http://internetniue.nu/vibrant-niue/hiapo-gallery/

Such curricular arrangements are mostly drawn with no rubbing tablet being used.

Tapa was made to serve many different things across the Pacific islands.

Cook Islands: Mask and costume 1899

Was tapa only made to be an art work?

In Rarotonga tapa was made into masks and costumes and worn during celebration and dance.

In Tahiti tapa was made into ponchos to cover the top half of the body.

In Samoa like many other Pacific cultures, tapa was made into a lavalava or wrap-around skirt.

Male dancers dressed in tapa costumes and masks 1903

Teffaaora, chief of Borabora wearing a tiputa or poncho 1820

Orator chiefs left and right wear siapo vala as lavalava or wrap-around skirts 1930`

Tapa is used for special occasions such as honouring a guest or during ceremonies such as birthdays, weddings and funerals.

Tapa is used as bed coverings or to create a private room.

Tapa can be used to decorate the walls, floors and ceiling. It can even decorate things like drums!

Tapa continues to be made today and continues to be an important part of Pacific culture, heritage and tradition.

Image:Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.

http://anoteoffriendship.blogspot.co.nz/2010/06/tongan-tapa-cloth.html

A display of fine Tongan baskets containing bottles of scented coconut oil, several headrests, woven items and two large bundles

of tapa cloth. Assembled for a wedding exchange 1920

Let’s recap on what we have learnt so far…As we have seen, Polynesian tapa is made and

used by many cultures of the Pacific…

Polynesian tapa…

is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree. The bark is beaten until soft, left to dry, then later decorated using a rubbing tablet and dye.

design differs between Pacific cultures. They are sometimes different in how the tapa is made, what symbols or colours are used and how they are arranged on the tapa cloth.

is an important part of Pacific culture, tradition and heritage. It is used as clothing, costume, masks, bed coverings to decorate walls, floors and ceilings, to help celebrate birthdays and weddings and to honour guests.

What have we learnt so far?

Art Activity: Rubbing tablet

Tapa artists used dye and a rubbing tablet to help create their symbols and pattern.

Explore the technique of rubbing by collecting small or large leaves from outside. Pick different shaped leaves to make it interesting.

Place the leaves under a piece of paper and with your pencil lightly shade over the top. The leaf should shine through the paper just like the symbols on a rubbing tablet.

Try arranging your leaves in grids, circles or spread them out like nemasitse. Use a range of drawing tools like pen, chalk, colouring pencil or crayon on different textured pieces of paper.

Image:http://www.creativeplayhouse.mumsinjersey.co.uk/2011/11/we-loved-rainbow-collage-much-that-i.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobevansimages/6936669581/sizes/m/in/photostream/ http://cindylane.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Leaf-rubbings.jpg http://mayamade.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/oak-stamps.html http://www.spottedcanary.com/Expert_Studio/Welcoming_the_Splendor_of_Fall.htm

In the next lesson we will explore ‘Inspired by tapa’.

End of lesson