Tapulu fou

Tapulu fou. Lace bark dress. This tapulu (dress) is woven from prepared fou (lace bark fibre) over a yellow satin bodice. It was likely custom made for a young girl. According to Matafele Smith, fou is a resource that is plentiful and grows wild in Niue. In the process of preparing the fibre for weaving, the leaves are cut and bundled. They are then submerged in sea water held down with rocks for approximately seven days wherein the desired fibres loosen and then can be easily stripped away from the rest of the leaves. The dyes used to colour the fou fibres in this tapulu are dyed in bright yellow and green colour, most likely from a synthetic source. The main bodice of yellow satin is overlaid with dyed fou sewn along the top edge and woven downwards in an open-work hand-knotting technique called ponapona in alternating colours of yellow and green stripes. The fibres are left loose and fringing for the full skirt. Shoulder straps of yellow satin are attached to the top of the garment which also have overlaid green and yellow fou fibre woven in a pekepeke technique.

Other Name

Lace bark dress (English)

Place

Niue

Accession Number

1985.118

Accession Date

1985

Other Id

51784 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific