"WEAVING AND TAPPA CLOTH"

Mats are donated from villages for special occasions like

weddings, funerals or 21st birthdays

Tapa cloth covering a funeral cart

Tapa cloth made by Sister Maiwiriwiri 

 Family tapa cloth

 

Tapa cloth used at a funeral

 



Before being weaved into mats, leaves are

boiled and dried.

Weaving dried leaves into a wedding mat

Ceremonial clothing made from tapa cloth

The three layered dress on the

left is the traditional Fijian tapa dress

 

The women spend hours making mats from leaves and grass and

tapa cloth from dried bark.  It takes days to weave or

paint the designs into their work. They work

alone or in groups. The mats and

tapa cloth are used for funerals,

 as wall and floor decorations,
ceremonial clothing

and as gifts for tourists.