Welcome
Thank you for using this pre-visit resource. We believe this will
help strengthen student learning leading up to and during your
gallery visit.
Due to the different versions of PowerPoint schools may use,
please check for, and correct any formatting issues before you
use this presentation with your students.
Please check by viewing in slide show format before making
any necessary changes.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Learning Experiences Outside the Classrom
Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts
Phone: (09) 577 0138 ext 7703
jeremy@tetuhi.org.nz
Jeremy Leatinu’u
Education Coordinator
Stories
from the
Pacific
Te 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
by learning about
Polynesian tapa.
Image: http://www.nationalgeographicstock.com/ngsimages/explore/explore.jsf
What
is Polynesian
Tapa?
How do
you make Tapa?
1. Tapa is made from the bark of
the paper mulberry tree.
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.
4. Next the pattern is decorated with
brown and black dye.
Polynesian Tapa is an art form unique to many cultures in the Pacific.
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
Polynesian
tapa
is made in…
Which Pacific
cultures
make tapa cloth?
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Uvea (Wallis
Island) and
Futuna
• Niue
• Cook Islands
• Tahiti
• Hawaii
• Fiji
• Vanuatu
• Santa Cruz
Islands
• Solomon
Islands
• Papua New
Guinea
Image: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Terence-Wesley_Smith/2347
Boxes and symbols
Do all Polynesian Tapa
look the same?
Ngatu is tapa in Tonga and
Siapo is tapa in Samoa.
Each tapa is different in
its own way.
Samoan tapa: Siapo
In the siapo we can see
Sometimes
the colour,
pictures
and symbols
of
pattern,
pictures
how are
plants,
flowers
andand
leaves
its made makes tapa
in boxes.
different to one another.
In Ngatu we see pictures of a
shield (of Tonga), a lion and
dove in boxes. All three
symbols reflect Tonga’s
history.
Tongan tapa: Ngatu
Image:
Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.
Colour and pattern
line
Nature
Nature is
inspires
many tapa
Colour
also important
to
designs.
tapa
design.
Tapa
Papua New
In thisfrom
nemasitse,
tapa Guinea
cloth from
has
red from
vegetable
dye andof
Vanuatu,
we can
see a pattern
black
leavesand brown from mud.
Kapa
On
this
from
Tahitian
Hawaii
tapa
usewe
colours
can
see printed
including
yellow,
leaves
red,
and
brown
fern
fronds.
and
black.
Tapa made from Eromanga,
Vanuatu: Nemasitse
Tapa, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea
Hawaiian Tapa: Kapa
Tahitian tapa scarf Ahufara.
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
Many tapa cloth symbols are in
squares. Some big and some
small.
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/
Was tapa only made to
be an art work?
Tapa is used for:
• Masks and costumes for
celebrations, festivals and dance.
Orator chiefs left and right wear siapo vala as lavalava or wrap-around skirts
1930`
• Clothing.
• Blankets or to make a
room.
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
• For special occasions like
birthdays, weddings and
funerals.
Tapa is an important part of
Pacific culture.
Cook Islands: Mask and costume 1899
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
As we have seen, Polynesian tapa is made and
Let’s recap on what we have learnt so far…
used by many cultures of the Pacific…
What have we learnt so far?
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.
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