Fala afeafe (sleeping mat)

This is a fala afeafe, it is part of a category of Samoan mats known as fala moe (sleeping mats). They are woven from pandanus leaves and incorporating structural or applied decoration.

Manufacture

Unlike papa laupaogo and papa laufala (floor mats) fala moe are made from a single weft of pandanus leaf that is much narrower in width. For this reason they are sometimes referred to as fala lili‘i or fala nini‘i. In some fala moe, weavers dye the weft elements black using natural dyes, or red and purple using commercial dyes (1).

Coloured wool fringing can also be a feature of these mats and is applied along the mats edges. In 1928, ethnologist Te Rangi Hiroa considered these aspects of coloured decoration as being fairly modern, and perhaps encouraged by increasing tourist traffic to Samoa (2).

Fala moe - types and ranking

Fala moe can be broken down into three types of mat. The lowest ranked is the fala afeafe. The term afeafe refers to a finishing technique used along the edge of the mats shorter sides. It is also distinguished by a fringe of wool decoration that appears only along the edges of the two longest sides.

The tu‘u laufala also has a fringe of wool decoration, except it appears along all four edges of the mat. Although it is not often made today, it is higher ranked than the fala afeafe (3).

The highest ranking of the fala moe is the fala tapito. It differs from the fala afeafe and tu‘u laufala in that it usually has no wool fringing. It is unique among Samoan mats in that the wefts run parallel to the mats sides instead of obliquely (4). It is similar to other fala moe in that it is decorated with dyed structural wefts interwoven with the natural coloured wefts.

Significance

This fala afeafe was made as part of a weaving  programme run by the Samoan Women in Business Foundation based in Apia.

Part of the organisations aim is to empower women in the village context and help bring them into the cash economy where they can make a small income for themselves.

Through the weaving programme they hoped to retain the skills of weaving and at the same time promote its cultural value. In 1999, there were a core group of weavers established in the villages of Manono, Aleipata, Tufitafoe, Lotofaga, Falefa, Tufulele, Satoalepai and Salesatele.

Acquisition history

This fala afeafe was made in 2000 by Tafa Lealaiauloto of Vavau, Upolu as part of the Women in Business scheme, Samoa.

References

(1) Neich, Roger.(1985). Material Culture of Western Samoa. National Museum of New Zealand Bulletin 23. p.32

(2) Te Rangi Hiroa, (Peter Buck). (1930). Samoan Material Culture. Bernice P. Bishop Museum.Bulletin 75. Hawai‘i. Honolulu .p. 216

(3) Interview Peka Malo (June1999), a weaver from Manase, Savai‘i

(4) Neich, Roger.(1985). Material Culture of Western Samoa. National Museum of New Zealand Bulletin 23. p.32