Tapulu fou

Tapulu fou. Lace bark dress. This tapulu (dress) is woven from prepared fou (lace bark fibre), likely for a tama fifine tote (young girl) to perform in. 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 most likely from a synthetic source. The fou fibres of this tapulu are dyed a bright red colour, connecting to horizontal bands of dyed-green fou woven in a pekepeke technique. Purple-dyed pompoms of fringed fou are attached to the waistband and top of the bodice as a means of fakamanaia, or decorative embellishment for the garment. The main bodice area of this tapulu consists of dyed fou woven in an open-work hand-knotting technique called ponapona. The shoulder straps are also made of dyed-red fou knotted in a loose ponapona technique. The fibres are left loose and fringing for the full skirt.

Other Name

Lace bark dress (English)

Place

Niue

Accession Number

2004.120.4

Accession Date

18 Nov 2004

Other Id

56260 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific