Tapulu fou. Lace bark dress. This tapulu (dress) is woven from prepared fou (lace bark fibre). 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 sea green-blue colour, connecting to a long horizontal band woven in a pekepeke technique. This band is a natural golden colour. Four fiti (flower rosettes) of woven fou are attached to the top band as a means of fakamanaia, or decorative embellishment for the garment. The main body this tapulu consists of dyed fou woven in an open-work hand-knotting technique called ponapona then left loose for the rest of the garment.