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Overview
This 'ahu (Tahitian banyan tapa) was produced by Hinatea Colombani (Te Ao Mā'ohi - Tahiti) as a part of the 'Ahu: Ngā wairua o Hina project.
Honouring the past
This tapa is made from the naturally brown bark of the 'ōrā or banyan tree. The bark was gathered from an old tree growing on the mountainside near Taputapuātea Marae on the Island of Raiatea.
Banyan is significant to Hinatea’s tapa-making journey and was the first type of bark she learned to gather and work. Through the inclusion of this cloth, she honours her heritage and her ancestors who used banyan tapa for ceremonial and ritual use. By incorporating banyan bark into her work, Hinatea pays tribute to the rich history and cultural significance of this material linking the past to the present.
“In Tahiti, we beat the 'ōrā tree, the banyan, and we use it in ceremony. The 'ōrā tree was also the first bark I learned to beat. I use the 'ōrā for my past to remind us, so we don't forget the spirituality of the tapa.”
Hinatea Colombani, 2023
Background
In 2021, with the Te Papa Foundation’s support, Te Papa acquired a rare book of tapa cloth samples, one of many assembled by Alexander Shaw in 1787. The samples were cut from larger pieces of tapa collected on Captain Cook’s voyages to the Pacific (1768, 1772, 1776) and represent tapa-making practices from various islands including Hawai‘i, Tahiti and Tonga. While the books contain only fragments of much larger creations, they highlight the variety of textures and artistry attained through the practices, knowledge, and skills of Pacific peoples.
Held in Tahiti in 2023, 'Ahu: Ngā Wairua o Hina brought tapa makers of Tongan, Sāmoan, Niuean, Fijian, Hawaiian, Tahitian, Pitcairn-Norfolk Island, and Māori descent. Over five days this group worked together to re-establish their living relationships to the cloth held within the Alexander Shaw book. Through a process of wānanga this group of makers created two tapa bundles, incorporating the ideas of past, present, and future. Today, one of the bundles resides with Te Papa and the other with Te Fare Iamanaha-Musée de Tahiti et des Îles.