Ili siapo

Ili siapo. Fan of siapo. This is a handmade ili (fan) made of a wooden 'au (handle) and a cardboard lau (blade) encased in siapo (tapa). The 'au is rectangle in shape and stretches the length of the 'au. The wooden 'au is covered in siapo that has been dyed a dark brown. The lau is made of a diamond shaped piece of cardboard and covered with siapo which is designed differently on each side. One side of the lau is decorated with a dark brown pua (frangipani) motif that has been painted on a beige background. The other side of the lau is decorated with a light brown diamond, bordered with a dark brown and beige checker board design. The small size, design, and materials used for this ili siapo suggest that it may have been used more for decorative purposes or created as a collectible item.

Other Name

Fan of siapo (English)

Place

Samoa/Pacific

Accession Number

1969.94

Accession Date

24 Apr 1969

Other Id

41205 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific