I'm going to give a little info on this first. Tapa cloth is a cloth that is made by pounding the bark of a mulberry tree. It is pounded until it is very thin and paper like. After you have pounded it thin, you take many other pieces and "glue" it together to make the size and thickness you desire.
Last year my sister learned how to pound the bark and pounded a few clothes out. Of course the Tongan women would laugh and take over when they saw her doing it. They can pound it without any holes and my sister was getting a few of them. HA!! I can't imagine how they are able to do it without any holes, but they do. She had been planning to put it together for a gift for my mom, but started working and didn't have time last year. Jo wanted to do something for this Christmas, so we took it to Matahu for the women there to "show" us how to do it.
Last year my sister learned how to pound the bark and pounded a few clothes out. Of course the Tongan women would laugh and take over when they saw her doing it. They can pound it without any holes and my sister was getting a few of them. HA!! I can't imagine how they are able to do it without any holes, but they do. She had been planning to put it together for a gift for my mom, but started working and didn't have time last year. Jo wanted to do something for this Christmas, so we took it to Matahu for the women there to "show" us how to do it.
They only mix flour with water to make their glue. After making the glue they would use their fingers to put it on one piece of tapa and them they would lay down the 2nd piece of tapa and hit it 2 times. Then they would move on to the next area to glue. It looked very easy when they did it. I'm sure if I had been able to do it, I would have messed up, but that is probably why they just did it for us. HA! After they are finished they put the tapa out to dry in the sun. It doesn't take too long there when it hasn't rained that day.
Jo watching how to glue the tapa together
A few days later we went over there again and they painted the tapa. They use this ink they get from another tree. I can't remember the name, but some how they get this ink. The one they used on ours was black, but there are some orange colors and brown colors too. I'm not sure how they make the colors. For our tapa clothes we decided to do each of the kids hand print with the words: Christmas 2008 written on it with Tongan designs on it. They turned out great and we even made one for us with Adona's hand prints on it.
Puttin Hika's hand in the ink
Hika and her cousin Mosi painting the designs
Adona trying to run away
Adona was not a big fan of doing the hand prints. In facts she was freaking out and I had to hold her while my sister got her hand to make the hand print. We got it though and the Tongan women that did some of the designs where able to hide the extra ink that got on the tapa from her freaking out.
The hand prints
In Tonga the women will get together to put together their tapa clothes. Their tapa clothes get HUGE! They can be worth many thousands of dollars when they are the whole piece of tapa. On one of our last days in Tonga one of Semisi's sisters brought a tapa for my mom. It was so big that we could not unfold it completely. It took up one whole suitcase, just to get it home. It was amazing and beautiful. Tapa is also very delicate, because of the way it is glues together. You want to make sure it does not get wet or it will fall apart. Now I think some of the things they make with the tapa are a lot more sturdy, because of things they can put on it to make it not get wet. If you would like a better description of Tapa go here.
The final product for Adona.
Jo watching how to glue the tapa together
A few days later we went over there again and they painted the tapa. They use this ink they get from another tree. I can't remember the name, but some how they get this ink. The one they used on ours was black, but there are some orange colors and brown colors too. I'm not sure how they make the colors. For our tapa clothes we decided to do each of the kids hand print with the words: Christmas 2008 written on it with Tongan designs on it. They turned out great and we even made one for us with Adona's hand prints on it.
Puttin Hika's hand in the ink
Hika and her cousin Mosi painting the designs
Adona trying to run awayAdona was not a big fan of doing the hand prints. In facts she was freaking out and I had to hold her while my sister got her hand to make the hand print. We got it though and the Tongan women that did some of the designs where able to hide the extra ink that got on the tapa from her freaking out.
The hand printsIn Tonga the women will get together to put together their tapa clothes. Their tapa clothes get HUGE! They can be worth many thousands of dollars when they are the whole piece of tapa. On one of our last days in Tonga one of Semisi's sisters brought a tapa for my mom. It was so big that we could not unfold it completely. It took up one whole suitcase, just to get it home. It was amazing and beautiful. Tapa is also very delicate, because of the way it is glues together. You want to make sure it does not get wet or it will fall apart. Now I think some of the things they make with the tapa are a lot more sturdy, because of things they can put on it to make it not get wet. If you would like a better description of Tapa go here.
The final product for Adona.
1 comment:
Wow! What an incredible experience. I love tapa clothes. I can't wait to read the rest of your stories :)
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