Fala vali (painted mat)

Fala vali are a type of mat woven from pandanus leaves and decorated with painted images. People use them to decorate the side of a bed.

Painted mats

Artists paint decorations directly onto the fala (mat) rather than stitch them on using wool as they would with fala su‘i. In the mid 20th century, stencils made from leaves were used to create a repeating motif or pattern on the body of the mat. Sometimes, artists travelled between villages decorating mats and other items.

Over time, the range of images, patterns and motifs have varied greatly from artist to artist. As in the case of the fala su‘i (wool embroidered mats) there are examples of fala vali where the decoration or images cover the entire mat.

Acquisition history

This fala vali was made by Fa‘amativa Afoa of Mulivai, Safata in the 1950's. It was passed onto her daughter Ana, who then passed it on to her brother’s daughter Matalena. In September 1994, it was then given to Sean Mallon by Matalena Fa‘asoa of Susega village near Apia for donation to the museum.