Siapo mamanu (tapa cloth)

This is a siapo mamanu (tapa cloth) from Samoa. The making of barkcloth or tapa was once widespread throughout the islands of the Pacific. In the 21st century, it is most strongly practiced in the west Polynesian island groups of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

Materials
Siapo makers use the bark of the u’a (paper mulberry tree) to make their cloth. The bark is carefully peeled off the tree in strips and then the inner bark is separated and scraped clean. It is then pounded until it widens into a larger size. The pieces of cloth go through a process where they are pasted together to make a larger cloth then decorated.

Decoration techniques
Siapo are decorated in two ways: either freehand or by taking rubbings off a relief pattern carved into a plank or board. The dyes are made from a variety of plants and trees and an earth ochre called ‘ele. Freehand-decorated siapo are called siapo mamanu. The creative flair of siapo makers is seen in the arrangement of the motifs and the clever use of a restricted colour palette. The motifs used usually represent plants and animals.This example of siapo mamanu is attched to a backing fabric.

Acquisition history
This siapo mamanu was formerly in the collections of the Gisborne Museum and Arts Centre, Te Whare Taonga O Tairawhiti and was donated to Te Papa in 1979. The accompanying record notes that it was collected in 1925.