`ie toga (cloth for toga)

In Samoa a special type of mat - the 'ie toga - is never used on the floor of a fale (house), but plays an important part in Samoan culture. 'ie toga or fine mats are the most precious type of mat and represent most of the indigenous forms of wealth for Samoan families.

'Ie toga are exchanged and presented at weddings and funerals, and at special occasions such as the blessing of a newly-built fale (house) or the opening of a church. At funerals 'ie toga are given to the family of the deceased and gifts of mats and food are given in return. These exchanges display a mutual respect that enforces family ties. Sometimes 'ie toga are worn as a ceremonial garment around the waist.

Significance

This is an exceptional old and fine ‘ie toga. It was given in an ifoga (ritual apology) from the family of a young man had left his wife and two sons in Samoa to go overseas where he married again. The family presented this mat in an ifoga to make amends for his desertion of wife and sons. The owner of the mat was one of these sons.

Materials and manufacture

This 'ie toga is made from a smaller variety of pandanus known as lau'ie and preparing the weaving materials can take many days. Once prepared by soaking, drying and bleaching in the sun, the leaves are slit into thin strips - the thinness of the strips determining the fineness of the mats.

Weaving the 'ie toga can take a long time - even years. In the 19th century, young women would start their own mats or complete ones started by older sisters. Today, it is more common for mats to be woven by a group of women working in a fale lalaga (weaving house).

A distinctive feature of 'ie toga is an unwoven fringe and a strip of red feathers. These feathers were originally from Samoan or Fijian parakeets but nowadays dyed chicken feathers are substituted. The marks of a well-made fine mat are its softness, shine and fineness, but often it is the associations the 'ie toga has with people and events that is most important.