Brief Description |
Barkcloth (tapa) made from inner bark paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia Papyrifera). Siapo tasina or siapo elei, Samoan barkcloth patterned from a design tablet. Pattern emphasied by freehand overpainting; heavy, brownish-black resinous glaze (dye), used for over painting of o'a sap mixed with charcoal from lama nut kernels. The pattern is very similar to the Tongan pattern known as Tokelau falitoa, but is a Samoan method of production. The pattern is essentially an elongated triangle (overpainted) with half-moon shaped inside it, reducing in size from the middle. Lines (from the tablet) are visible. Tapa is square in shape.
|