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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

In 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 lesson Let’s start this lesson by learning about by learning about Polynesian tapa.Polynesian tapa.

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

What is Polynesian Tapa?

Polynesian Tapa is an art form unique to many cultures in the Pacific.

2. The bark is stripped from the tree and flattened and joined together to make a large cloth.

3. When the tapa cloth is dry it is placed over a wooden carving and rubbed over with dye. Now we can see the pattern.

1. Tapa is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree.

How do you make 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

4. Next the pattern is decorated with brown and black dye.

Which Pacific cultures make tapa cloth?

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 colour, pattern, pictures and how its made makes tapa different to one another.

Boxes and symbols

Tongan tapa: Ngatu

Ngatu is tapa in Tonga and Siapo is tapa in Samoa.

In the siapo we can see pictures and symbols of plants, flowers and leaves are in boxes.

In Ngatu we see pictures of a shield (of Tonga), a lion and dove in boxes. All three symbols reflect Tonga’s history.

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

Samoan tapa: Siapo

Nature and pattern

Tapa made from Eromanga, Vanuatu: Nemasitse

Nature inspires many tapa designs.

In this nemasitse, tapa cloth from Vanuatu, we can see a pattern of leaves

Tahitian tapa scarf Ahufara.

On this Tahitian tapa we can see printed leaves and fern fronds.

Colour and line

Colour is also important to tapa design.

Tapa from Papua New Guinea has red from vegetable dye and black and brown from mud.

Tapa, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea

Kapa from Hawaii use colours including yellow, red, brown and black.

Hawaiian Tapa: Kapa

Image: 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

Circles

Hiapo, tapa cloth from Nuie, have symbols in circular shapes making their design unique.

Nuiean Tapa: Hiapo

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

Many tapa cloth symbols are in squares. Some big and some small.

Tapa is used for:

Cook Islands: Mask and costume 1899

Was tapa only made to be an art work?

• Masks and costumes forcelebrations, festivals and dance.

• Clothing.Orator chiefs left and right wear siapo vala as lavalava or wrap-around skirts

1930`

• For special occasions like birthdays, weddings and funerals.

• Blankets or to make a room.

Tapa is an important part of Pacific culture.

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 flattened, dried and then decorated with dye.

Pacific cultures have different designs. Sometimes the colour, pattern, pictures and how its made makes one tapa cloth different to another.

is important to Pacific culture. It is used for clothing, costume, masks, blankets, bedrooms and to help celebrate birthdays and weddings.

What have we learnt so far?

Art Activity: Rubbing tablet

Explore tapa making 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 in pencil lightly shade over the top. An impression of the leaf should surface like the symbols on tapa.

Try arranging your leaves in grids, circles or spread them out like nemasitse. Try using pen, chalk, colouring pencil or crayon to make it interesting.

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