Overview
If you’ve ever put a piece of paper over a coin and then rubbed the paper with a pencil to make the outline of the coin show, then you’ll probably understand something of the process involved in decorating ngatu.
Ngatu is the Tongan name for tapa or decorated barkcloth. After a long and involved process of making ngatu, Tongan women decorate the ngatu with a combination of printing and painting.
To do this, a koka‘anga (ngatu-making work party) of at least twelve women meet and sit at both sides of a flat or convex table called a papa, usually measuring about 1 x 5 metres.
The papa is almost entirely covered by kupesi (pattern boards) that have been tied and glued down to the table. Made from pandanus leaves and part of the coconut frond, kupesi can be rectangular (usually about 35 x 50 cm) or the same shape as the pattern or motif that will be seen on the ngatu. Motifs can be created to commemorate special occasions or can be more abstract.
Large sheets of ngatu are made by joining two layers of feta‘aki (beaten inner bark of hiapo) on top of each other. The bottom layer is placed lengthways on the papa. Brown dye is rubbed on the feta‘aki, which is then covered with glue.
Next, each woman on one side of the table, with a roll of feta‘aki on her lap, passes one end to her partner across the table. This forms the top layer and the two strips are glued together where their edges overlap.
The joined feta‘aki is then rubbed with scrap pieces of feta‘aki. The women dip these pieces in brown dye then rub again. This second rubbing reveals the design of the kupesi underneath.
Meanwhile, the women at the end of the table hand paint dividing lines, numbers and sometimes small designs on the borders. The dividing lines mark the unit of measurement for a ngatu, known as a langanga. This unit varies from 45-60 cm depending on the size of the kupesi, papa and the hand of the woman marking the ngatu. The numbers mark the expanding length of the ngatu.
Next, a new bottom layer is laid on the table, dye and glue rubbed on, and the process repeated, so another long thin ‘strip’ is created. This process continues until the ngatu measures at least 50 langanga.
After the ngatu has been dried and flattened, the woman who owns it paints over and elaborates the original printed design with a brown or black dye, using a paintbrush made from a sharpened bit of the pandanus fruit.