Fabric Type 19

siapo mamanu

Description

The most traditional of decorated Samoan siapo (barkcloth) types, siapo mamanu is always hand-painted, and generally has a composition of broad parallel bands infilled with monochrome geometric motifs in black or reddish brown reminiscent of tatau (tattooing) and other complex Samoan decorative arts. Repeating leaf vines are also an important element of siapo mamanu, although this seems to be a later development of the 19th century, and never reached the dominance they had in the iconography of the closely related tradition of Niue.

References

Neich, R. and Pendergrast , M. (1997b). Traditional tapa textiles of the Pacific. London: Thames & Hudson

Images

Kew EBC 42863. Colour photo of a hand-painted Samoan siapo mamanu, constructed from two layers of paper mulberry bast pasted together. This siapo was collected by Captain Sir James Everard Home of HMS North Star and donated to Kew in 1847 as one of “various specimens of Tapa cloth." (Copyright Economic Botany Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) — Kew EBC 42863. A hand-painted Samoan *siapo mamanu*, constructed from two layers of paper mulberry bast pasted together. (© Economic Botany Collection, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew)

Version

Entry created on 28 August 2020