‘ie toga (fine mat)

This is an ‘ie toga a special type of finely woven mat never used on the floor of a fale (house) , but represents most of the indigenous forms of wealth for Samoan families.

Significance

‘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.

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. In the 19th century, 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.

Materials and manufacture

This ‘ie toga is hand woven from the leaves of a smaller variety of pandanus known as lau‘ie. Preparing the leaves for weaving can take many days. Once prepared by soaking, drying and bleaching in the sun, weavers slit the leaves into thin strips - the thinness of the strips determining the fineness of the mats. When the weavers complete the mat they attach a row of red feathers along one edge.

Acquisition history

This ‘ie toga 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.

This ‘ie toga was made in 2000 by Atagai Simone from Tufutafoe as part of the Women in Business scheme, Samoa.

References

(1) Interview Adi Tafuna‘i from Women in Business Foundation, Samoa, March 2000