| Brief Description |
This length of gatu vakaviti, a tapa or barkcloth, was made in the eastern region of Fiji, in the Lau Island group. Two styles of masi (tapa) produced in this region combine Fijian and Tongan styles. This is an example of one of those types, called gatu vakaviti which means "Tongan cloth in the style of Fiji".
Used for sash or scarf, this cloth has a central panel produced on a Tongan-style kupesi (tapa) with borders in a Fijian style. It is made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera) and decorated with black and brown dyes. The motif features a border that has a zig-zag stripe, a small vertical stripe and another zig-zag stripe. The central pattern has a diagonal cross of zig-zag lines plus black highlighting lines, a flowering tree motif and two black dots in each central square. In the over-painting there seems to be two layers, one black the other brown. The dyes are probably charcoal and o'a sap mixed with lama nut kernel. "Samoa" is written in small black letters on the front.
|
