Overview
This is a very old and rare ‘ie toga (fine mat) from Sāmoa. On important occasions, high ranking matai (chiefs) and taupou (daughters of chiefs) may have worn it as a garment, but it has also been presented as a valuable in ceremonies that cement relationships between people.
The making of ‘ie toga
A ‘ie toga was hand woven with great skill, with fibres so fine that it could take months or years to complete. In the past, ‘ie toga were made by young women, who would commence their own mats, or complete mats left unfinished by older female family members.
Decoration
The only decoration on this ‘ie toga is a row of feathers along the bottom edge. The old style of ‘ie toga was decorated with a fringe fastened by rare red parakeet feathers, usually from Fiji. For many years parrot feathers were traded between Fiji, Sāmoa, and Tonga. Tongan seafarers often transported them from Fiji to Sāmoa then returned home with ‘ie toga bordered with some of the same feathers. There were skirmishes and even deaths in pursuit of these feathers. However, in the early 1900s, colonial authorities banned the trade in the interests of conserving the species of bird.
Heirlooms of exceptional value
‘Ie toga are the highest ranking item in the exchange system within Sāmoan society. They seal relationships between groups of people and feature at special events and ceremonies. They are preserved and guarded with great care. Some pass through several generations, and as more people or events become associated with them, they often gain immense sentimental or historical value. ‘Ie toga might be given a name, and the most important might have several names.
The presence of an ‘ie toga brings great dignity to an event. Since the early 1800s, Sāmoan ‘ie toga have been exchanged at weddings of high-ranking Tongan chiefs. Among the Tongan royal family’s most valuable heirlooms are many fine examples, some dating back to the 1600s.
A presentation to the New Zealand Prime Minister
In June 2002, the Tamasese family, one of Sāmoa’s highest-ranking families, presented this ‘ie toga to New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. Helen Clark was visiting Sāmoa for the country’s 40th celebration of political independence. In her speech she took the opportunity to apologise for traumatic events that occurred during New Zealand's administration of Sāmoa from 1914 to 1962. One of these, an influenza outbreak in 1918, killed thousands of Sāmoans after administrators allowed a ship with infected people on board to dock. In another, 11 protesters were fatally shot during a peaceful march by the Mau independence movement in 1929.
The presentation of the ‘ie toga acknowledged the Prime Minister’s apology and symbolised the restored relationship between the two nations.
Reference
(1.) Clunie .F. 1986 page 150 Yalo i Viti Shades of Viti: A Fiji Museum Catalogue. Fiji Museum. Suva
Text originally published in Tai Awatea, Te Papa's onfloor multimedia database (2007)