Sai tapa'a (tobacco)

Sai tapa'a (wrapping or container of tobacco)

In the early 20th century, Samoans grew, dried and cured their own tobacco. They preserved and stored the leaves in a sai tapa'a - a wrapping or package of tobacco leaves.

Bundles of leaves

According to one account of tobacco growing in Samoa published in the 1940s,

“…bundles of leaves are twisted by the women into lengths called fili, and eight to ten of these twists, folded into sections of paogo leaf and bound tightly with fau fibre lashings, form a wrapping or container called a sai, rather similar in shape to a belaying-pin or a skittle. Men prepare the lashings and perform the task of binding, straining the lashing on tightly with one end usually tied to a post of the house…For consumption, leaves are untwisted from the fili, dried over a match-flame or a glowing section of coconut husk and then rolled into cigarettes with strips of dried banana leaves (sului). The whole cigarette is called utufaga.” (1)

Acquisition history

This sai tapa’a came into the museum in the mid 20th century. There are no records of its origins or maker.

Sources:

(1) Grattan, F. J. (1948). An introduction to Samoan custom. MacMillan R (NZ).