Welcome
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help strengthen student learning leading up to and during your
gallery visit.
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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
Over 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 exploring
Polynesian tapa.
Image: http://www.nationalgeographicstock.com/ngsimages/explore/explore.jsf
Firstly,Making
what isTapa
Polynesian Tapa?
1. Originally a native of East Asia,
the paper mulberry tree is most
commonly used to make
Polynesian tapa.
2. The bark is stripped from the tree and
beaten to stretch the bark.
3. Other pieces are joined together and
beaten, creating a large cloth. Some
tapa cloth can be as long as 100 metres!
4. Once the tapa cloth is dry it is placed
over a rubbing tablet and rubbed over
with dye, allowing the pattern from the
tablet to show through.
5. Once the dye is dry the pattern is
highlighted and decorated in brown and
black dye. Many symbols or pattern
used in tapa reflect things of the land
such
plants, trees,
birds,
Polynesian Tapa is an art form, developed and refined overand
thesea
last
fewashundred
years
turtles and insects.
and 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…
How many different
Pacific
cultures make tapa?
• 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
Grids and symbols
Do all Polynesian Tapa
look the same?
Grids
Ngatuor
assquares
it is known
are in
seen
Tonga
often
and Uvea
in tapa
(Wallis
design,
Island)
suchalso
as
Each
tapa
is different
in
siapo
use the
and
grid
masi.
in their
tapa design.
its own way.
Samoan
Siapo
Tongan tapa: Ngatu
Symbolsorand
patterns templates
can
Square
rectangular
Sometimes
the difference
become
very and
distinctive
and
with
symbols
pattern
is in how the cloth
is are
can telland
us where the
tapa
made
onto
the
made,rubbed
what colours
are cloth
was dye.
made.
In the
siapo and
and
with
This
ispatterns
repeated
used,
what
masi examples
earlier
wehow
saw
signs are
and
throughout
thedrawn
tapa
creating
the
plants,the
flowers
and
leaves
images
are
arrangedas
appearance
of a
grid.
symbols.
on the bark cloth.
For others the grid is simply
Ngatu from Tonga have
painted on creating individual
Lets take
a closer
distinctive
symbols
andlook
are
spaces
for
simple
symbols
at some
of the
tapa to
perhaps
the only
culture
and motif.
made
around
include
a shield
(ofthe
Tonga), a
Pacific.
lion and
dove. All three
symbols
reflectthe
events
in
What might
symbols
in
Tonga’s
history.
this Siapo
and Masi reflect?
Uvea tapa: Ngatu
Fijian tapa: Masi
Image:
Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.
Nature
Colour and pattern
line
Kapa
As
Each
Designs
wePacific
from
have
onHawaii
Tahitian
seen
culture
inalso
siapo
tapa
chooses
use
also
and
a
masi,
specific
range
reflectnature
of
nature
colours
different
inspires
butand
not
colours
certain
through
many tapa
design. tools
drawing
including
symbols.
yellow,
to decorate
red, brown
their
tapa.black.
and
Differentand
types
leavesare
inspire
Leaves
fernoffronds
the
decoration
of Papua
tapa.
They
dipped
in dye
and
To
decorate
kapa
apressed
range
of can
tools
Tapa
made
from
New
be
repeated
throughout,
creating
against
the
cloth
leaving
an
are
used,
from
multi-pronged
Guinea
use
red
from
vegetable
a
pattern
like
as
accurate
offorks
the
leaf.
pens
thatportrait
lookarrangement
like
to from
dyes
and
black
and
brown
seen
in this
nemasitse.
patterned
bamboo
printing
charocal
and
certain
muds.
stamps.
Tapa made from Eromanga, Vanuatu: Nemasitse
Tahitian
Hawaiian
KapaPapua New Guinea
Tapa, OroTapa:
Province,
tapa
scarf
Image:
Neich, Roger and Pendergrast, Mick. Pacific Tapa. Auckland NZ: David Bateman Ltd, 1997.
Ahufara.
http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/general/SearchResults.aspx?dataset=Tapa&c_image_hasdata=checked&c_image_forcelogic=and&c_countryplaceoforigin_search=hawaii&Page=2
Circular
Arranging symbols using a
grid has become a common
practice when designing tapa,
including hiapo.
However in hiapo design a
curricular arrangement is also
used.
Such curricular arrangements
are mostly drawn with no
rubbing tablet being used.
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
In
Samoa
was made
continues
like many
to
tobe
serve
other
made
many
Pacific
different
cultures,
today
and
things
tapa
continues
was
across
made
tothe
beinto
an a
Pacific islands.
lavalava
important
orpart
wrap-around
of Pacific skirt.
culture, heritage and tradition.
Tapa
is used as
bed
coverings
In Rarotonga
tapa
was
made or
to
a private
room. and
intocreate
masks
and costumes
worn
and
Tapa during
can be celebration
used to decorate
dance.
the walls, floors and ceiling. It
Orator chiefs left and right wear siapo vala as
lavalava or wrap-around skirts 1930`
Male dancers dressed in tapa costumes
and masks 1903
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
Teffaaora, chief of Borabora wearing
a tiputa or poncho 1820
Cook Islands: Mask
and costume 1899
can even decorate things like
In
Tahiti tapa was made into
drums!
ponchos to cover the top half of
the body.
Tapa
is used for special
occasions such as honouring a
guest or during ceremonies
such as birthdays, weddings
and funerals.
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 beaten until soft, left to dry, then later
decorated using a rubbing tablet and dye.
design differs between Pacific cultures. They are
sometimes different in how the tapa is made, what
symbols or colours are used and how they are
arranged on the tapa cloth.
is an important part of Pacific culture, tradition and
heritage. It is used as clothing, costume, masks, bed
coverings to decorate walls, floors and ceilings, to
help celebrate birthdays and weddings and to honour
guests.
Art Activity: Rubbing tablet
Tapa artists used dye and a rubbing tablet to help
create their symbols and pattern.
Explore the technique of rubbing 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 with your
pencil lightly shade over the top. The leaf should
shine through the paper just like the symbols on a
rubbing tablet.
Try arranging your leaves in grids, circles or spread
them out like nemasitse. Use a range of drawing tools
like pen, chalk, colouring pencil or crayon on
different textured pieces of paper.
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