Tonga
Tonga is the westernmost island in Polynesia. Its arts are varied, but
one of its most distinctive products is barkcloth, which women have
traditionally produced throughout Polynesia.
BARKCLOTHArtists produce barkcloth from the inner bark of
the paper mulberry tree. The finished product goes by various
names in Polynesia, but during the 19th century, when the produc-
tion of barkcloth reached its zenith,tapa became the most widely
used term. Although the primary use of tapa in Polynesia was for
clothing and bedding, in Tonga large sheets (FIG. 33-14) were (and
still are) produced for exchange (see “Tongan Barkcloth,” above). In
addition, barkcloth has a spiritual dimension in that it can confer
sanctity upon an object wrapped in it. Appropriately, the Polyne-
sians traditionally wrapped the bodies of high-ranking deceased
chiefs in barkcloth.
The use and decoration of tapa have varied over the years. In
the 19th century, tapa used for everyday clothing was normally un-
adorned, whereas tapa intended for ceremonial or ritual purposes
was dyed, painted, stenciled, and sometimes even perfumed. The
designs applied to the tapa differed depending upon the particular
island group producing it and the function of the cloth. The pro-
duction process was complex and time-consuming. Indeed, some
Oceanic cultures, such as those of Tahiti and Hawaii, constructed
buildings specifically for the beating stage in the production of bark-
cloth. Tapa production reached its peak in the early 19th century,
partly as a result of the interest expressed by Western whalers and
missionaries. By the late 19th century, the use of tapa for cloth hadPolynesia 881T
ongan barkcloth provides an instructive example of the labor-
intensive process of tapa production. At the time of early con-
tact between Europeans and Polynesians in the late 18th and early
19th centuries, ranking women in Tonga made decorated barkcloth
(ngatu). Today, organizations called kautaha—groups of women not
of noble birth—produce it, although high-ranking women are often
sponsors of the kautaha. In Tonga men plant the paper mulberry
tree and harvest it in two to three years. They cut the trees into about
10-foot lengths and allow them to dry for several days. Then the
women strip off the outer bark and soak the inner bark in water to
prepare it for further processing. They place these soaked inner bark
strips over a wooden anvil and repeatedly strike them with a wooden
beater until they spread out and flatten. Folding and layering the
strips while beating them, a type of felting process, results in a wider
piece of ngatu than the original strips. Afterward, the beaten bark-
cloth dries and bleaches in the sun.
The next stage of ngatu production involves the placement of
the thin, beaten sheets over semicircular boards. The women then
fasten embroidered design tablets (kupesi—usually produced by
men) of low-relief leaf, coconut leaf midribs, and string patterns to
the boards. They transfer the patterns on the design tablets to the
barkcloth by rubbing. Then the women fill in the lines and patterns
by painting, covering the large white spaces with painted figures.
The Tongans use brown, red, and black pigments derived from vari-
ous types of bark, clay, fruits, and soot to create the colored patterns
on ngatu. Sheets, rolls, and strips of ngatu play an important role
in weddings, funerals, and ceremonial presentations for ranking
persons.Tongan Barkcloth
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUESImage not available due to copyright restrictions