Siapo, also known as Tapa in other Pacific Ocean Islands is a bark cloth and one of the oldest a
nd important symbol of Samoan cultural art forms. Special occasions such as births, funerals and weddings call for the presentations of Siapo. The preparation process involved in the materials used to create the cloth is an art itself.
The canvas of Siapo is the bark of the Paper Mulberry Tree. People have bunches of them growing in a corner of their plantations and the tree stalks are carefully tended so that they grow straight with very few branches. The tree stalk is harvested when it is about ten to fourteen month old or ap
proximately one to two inches in diameter. The two layered bark is then stripped of the stalk in one even pull using a sharp knife. The soft inner bark (called bast) is separated and dried in the sun before being soaked in a bowl of fresh clean water to keep moist. The tough outer bark is discarded.
The next step is scraping with three different clam shells. This process removes the remaining bits of bark and green growth and softens and spreads the fibers. Then the narrow strip of bast is placed on a wooden anvil and pounded by a wooden beater. The beating process causes the bast to flatten and gradually spread out to become wide, thin pieces of cloth. The unfinished cloth is then being weighed down with stones to dry and bleach by the sun. Various strips are pasted together with arrowroot paste to create the various sizes of Siapo. Now the cloth is ready to be decorated.
Two techniques are used in creating the designs. The rubbing method called "siapo 'elei" and the freehand method c
alled "siapo mammanu".
Siapo 'elei uses a design board called "upeti" to imprint on the bark cloth. The "upeti" has been covered with dye and an unfinished cloth is placed on it. The top surface is then rubbed to transfer the design from the board to the cloth. In the Siapo mamanu method, each design or image is hand painted on the surface.
The dyes used in decorating Siapo are derived from a number of plant sources as well. "O'a" is the brown dye and the base for all other dyes. It is extracted from the bark of the Blood Tree. As "o'a" ages, it darkens. It starts as a pale tan and matures into a rich dark brown. This dye is mixed with black dye, or "lama" that is made by burning the nut of the Candlenut Tree, "loa" the bright red dye made from seeds of the Lipstick Tree and "ago", the yellow dye made from Turmeric Root juice.
Traditional design elements used in decorating Siapo are typically plant or animal motifs or other images from Samoan life.
nd important symbol of Samoan cultural art forms. Special occasions such as births, funerals and weddings call for the presentations of Siapo. The preparation process involved in the materials used to create the cloth is an art itself.The canvas of Siapo is the bark of the Paper Mulberry Tree. People have bunches of them growing in a corner of their plantations and the tree stalks are carefully tended so that they grow straight with very few branches. The tree stalk is harvested when it is about ten to fourteen month old or ap
proximately one to two inches in diameter. The two layered bark is then stripped of the stalk in one even pull using a sharp knife. The soft inner bark (called bast) is separated and dried in the sun before being soaked in a bowl of fresh clean water to keep moist. The tough outer bark is discarded.The next step is scraping with three different clam shells. This process removes the remaining bits of bark and green growth and softens and spreads the fibers. Then the narrow strip of bast is placed on a wooden anvil and pounded by a wooden beater. The beating process causes the bast to flatten and gradually spread out to become wide, thin pieces of cloth. The unfinished cloth is then being weighed down with stones to dry and bleach by the sun. Various strips are pasted together with arrowroot paste to create the various sizes of Siapo. Now the cloth is ready to be decorated.
Two techniques are used in creating the designs. The rubbing method called "siapo 'elei" and the freehand method c
alled "siapo mammanu".Siapo 'elei uses a design board called "upeti" to imprint on the bark cloth. The "upeti" has been covered with dye and an unfinished cloth is placed on it. The top surface is then rubbed to transfer the design from the board to the cloth. In the Siapo mamanu method, each design or image is hand painted on the surface.
The dyes used in decorating Siapo are derived from a number of plant sources as well. "O'a" is the brown dye and the base for all other dyes. It is extracted from the bark of the Blood Tree. As "o'a" ages, it darkens. It starts as a pale tan and matures into a rich dark brown. This dye is mixed with black dye, or "lama" that is made by burning the nut of the Candlenut Tree, "loa" the bright red dye made from seeds of the Lipstick Tree and "ago", the yellow dye made from Turmeric Root juice.
Traditional design elements used in decorating Siapo are typically plant or animal motifs or other images from Samoan life.
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