Fala lau‘ie (mat)

This is a fala lau‘ie (mat made from lau‘ie) a type of sleeping mat that is part of a larger category of mats referred to as fala ufi moega. These fala have a flap and fringe designed to hang down and decorate the side of a bed.

Sleeping mats

In 1999, there were two types of fala ufi moega; the fala lau‘ie and the fala vali. The fala lau‘ie is probably the present day version of what was formerly known as the ‘ie moega - a plain largely undecorated sleeping mat used by matai and made from a variety of pandanus plant called lau‘ie.

Construction

The fala lau‘ie that replaced the ‘ie moega typically featured "…soft, well prepared, narrow, double layered wefts of lau'ie; a fringe and/ or flaps or tags at the bottom edge; restrained geometric designs stitched or laced through the mat with wool of a limited range of colours.

One old fala lau‘ie measured in 1980 had wefts 6mm wide. By 1999, these old fala lau'ie were considered quite rare with Peka Malo a weaver from Manase, saying that any good fala lau‘ie in use were likely to be at least five to ten years old.

Her observation is supported former Te Papa ethnologist Roger Neich who in 1980 noted that modern fala lau‘ie were much thicker and coarser and not processed or made as carefully as they were in former times.

Acquisition history

This fala lau‘ie was collected by Roger Neich at the Samoa Handicrafts Board Shop in Apia on the 12 August 1980.