Tapa making is a PROCESS. First, you tear the bark from a tree. Then you cut and peel the brown part off of it. Then you roll it so it flattens. Then you scrape it with a seashell to get rid of residue. Then you soak it. Then you scrape some more, and pound it to flatten it/widen it. Then you set it out to dry under some rocks so it doesn't shrink.
Then you put it over one of these patterns (also pre-carved by Fa'amuli) and wet it with water. Then you grind red clay against seashells. Spread it with a "paintbrush" made of more treebark. Dry it under rocks again.
Then you take the dye from the tree bark (which I did NOT make... Fa'amuli had pre-made that for us). and color in however you like. You'll have to wait to see my final product when I get home..
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Siapo making!
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1 comments:
Hi,
I normally don't blog surf but while I was searching on google I ran accross this picture of siapo making. My husband and I visited Samoa nearly 5 years ago to adopt our son, Sivai, Fa'amuli is birth grandmother. It's great to see she is still around and still making siapo. www.bridgetteandpatrick.blogspot.com
It looks like you had an authentic and incredible journey in Samoa.
Tofa Safua, Bridgette Dotson
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