Samoan Siapo Lua Black Pearl Shell light weight and somewhat fragile

light weight and somewhat fragile

we polish it to a nice shine and use it as a percussive instrument in the hula dance

a collector of Polynesian art or even a musician looking to expand a music repertoire

Local vahine (women) show some of the more popular styles of pareo tying

Polynesians have a use for just about every part of the coconut tree

Samoan Siapo Lua Black Pearl Shell light weight and somewhat fragileThroughout Samoan history, siapo (tapa) has maintained its major role as an item of exchange and formal presentation. Special occasions such as births, funerals, weddings and investiture of matai titles call for the presentations of siapo. Siapo is made from the bark of the mulberry tree. The bark is stripped off and pounded until it forms into a paper like cloth. Arrowroot paste is used to glue individual strips together to form a piece large enough