Ngatu (tapa cloth)

This is a fragment of a large ngatu (tapa cloth) from the islands of Tonga. Ngatu is highly valued in Tongan society and presented on special occasions such as wedding and funeral ceremonies. This example features motifs depicting Spitfire fighter aircraft flying a "Queen Salote" banner, the Sila o Tonga (Tongan crest), a flag of Great Britain and the United States of America.

Significance

This is a rare survival of tapa commemorating the war effort of Queen Salote and the Tongan people who raised money for the British to buy Spitfire airplanes during the Second World War (1939-1945).The aircraft depicted is the first of 3 Spitfires donated to the British war effort by the Queen and people of Tonga. A total of 15,000 pounds was raised in Tonga for this purpose, the aircraft depicted on the tapa was the result of the first payment of 5,000 pounds in April 1941. Two of the spitfires saw service in battle.

Acquisition history

This ngatu was purchased by Portobello Antiques from a collector who had acquired the piece from the family of a United States serviceman who was in the Pacifc during the Second World War.

Further reading

Boot, H. and Sturtivant, R. 2005. Gifts of War - Spitfires & other Presentation Aircraft in Two World Wars.

Kaeppler, Adrienne. 1998. Airplanes and saxaphones: postwar images in the visual and performing arts, in Scarr, Derek, et al. 1998. Echoes of Pacific War: Papers from the 7th Tongan History Conference held in Canberra 1997. 38-64.