| Brief Description |
This ngatu tahina or barkcloth (tapa) from Tonga is made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera) and is rectangular in shape.
The ngatu is divided into squares and decorated with five repeating patterns and one central pattern. The patterns are: the Sila 'o Tonga (the Tongan coat of arms); Hala Paini (Norfolk pines that line the street that leads to the Royal Palace on Tongatapu) which refer to royalty and the royal family; the dove of peace; the aristocratic eagle; and the British royal lion expressing Tongan solidarity with Britain. This pattern became very popular after World War II. The repeating patterns are (in L-R order) dove of peace, Sila 'o Tonga, American eagle, Norfolk Island pines with sun, moon and stars in the sky, and a British lion.
The central pattern has dark brown chevron stripes with words along each outside edge. The patterns appear to be a combination of stenciling, rubbing over a design tablet (kupesi) and freehand painting. This type of ngatu tahina is called tapa 'ingatu because of the way it is decorated with the patterns standing out from a plain white background.
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