Mat Weaving

About Tonga > Arts and Crafts > Mat Weaving

Weaved mats are a traditional Tongan gift. Tongans are presented with weaved mats when they are born and married.

Mat weaving is (still to this day) done by hand and, as a result, no two pieces are alike.

Mat Weaving

Mat weaving, like tapa making, plays an essential part in the everyday life of the people. Women gather in small groups to help each other with the weaving and will often be found singing or talking to keep themselves from getting tired.

Vast quantities of mats are woven and traditionally presented at births, weddings, funerals and other special occasions. These mats are the most treasured possessions in Tongan households.

In addition to using mats for practical household purposes such as floor coverings and bedding, the people of Tonga wear mats known as ta’ovala around the waist as a sign of respect. This custom is said to have originated from ancient times when men, on returning from long voyages at sea, would cut the mat sails of their canoes and cover the nakedness prior to appearing before their chief. Finely woven ta’ovala are particularly treasured and are handed down from generation to generation, some dating back hundreds of years. Today the kiekie, mainly worn by women, is a simplified version of the ta’ovala.

Preparing the Leaves for Weaving

There are four species of the pandanus that are commonly used for weaving. Each species has a different colour and texture. They are paongo (brown), tofua (white), kie (white) and tapahina (white or brown).

Preparing the pandanus leaves for weaving is time consuming and difficult. First the leaves are cut close to the ground, after which the sharp serrated sides and midrib of each leaf is removed with a sharp knife (thus halving each leaf into two long pieces). Once this has been done, there are several ways to prepare the leaves of each species to in order to achieve the right colour.

The paongo leaves are covered with a mat and the leaves are turned everyday to ensure circulation of air. Within a few days, the leaves turn golden yellow and then gradually reddish brown. At this point, the leaves are made into special plaits (called fakate’ete’epuaka) and hung in bunches in the house to dry gradually.

Tofua leaves are put into circular bundles and boiled for an hour before drying in the sun to produce a white colour.

The kie leaves are boiled and each leaf is peeled by separating the soft, upper half of the leaf from the bottom. The upper halves are tied into bunches and put into the sea at low tide. Large stones are used to secure the bunches, which are left in the sand for a week and a half until the leaves are bleached white by the salt of the sea. The bunches are then hauled to dry land where each leaf is carefully washed with rainwater and then dried in the sun.

Before the weaving begins, each dried leaf is flattened and made pliable by pressing a shell against the leaf with the thumb and forefinger and then pulling the leaf between the shell and the middle finger. When the leaf becomes soft and supple, it is cut lengthwise into thin or thick strips, according to the kind of article to be woven.

Mat weaving differs from one to the other, according the species of pandanus used.

The four most used mats are fala paongo, fala tui, fala tofua and fala fihu. The fala paongo is brown in colour and ranks high. It is used for mats that are customarily presented of chiefly rank. The weave is of double thickness and find strips are used making it a valuable possession. The fala tofua is made in the same way as the fala paongo, except that the flax is beige in colour. The fala fihu is made from the kie (a type of pandanas). If it is woven as a single strip, it is known as Kie Tonga and holds a chiefly rank. If it is woven with doubled thickness, it is still a treasured article of the Tongan woman but it cannot be substituted for a Kie Tonga.

The fala tui is one of Tonga’s most attractive mats. A separate mat of a much thicker weave is first woven to the required size and squared off. This is the undermat and it is usually made of tofua. The top layer is made of paongo and consists of a finer weave. It is attached to the undermat, as it is woven on top of it. Skill is much needed for this special weave and the women of Niua Fo’ou are the best in this field.

The black flax used to make contrasting patterns on the mats is dyed beige tofua flax. This is immersed under mud in a swamp for days before it is boiled with the leaves of the manaui (garuga floribunda) or loa ano (jussiaea erecta) until the flax turns black. The dye is fast and will not fade.

Another local material that is commonly used is the fibre of the fau tree (hibiscus tiliaceus), which is strong and long lasting. The fau is used making baskets, ta’ovala dancing costumes, hula skirts, fringing of mats and roping. Again the preparation of the fibre for use takes many days. The branches are cut and taken to the sea where they are left for weeks. They are secured to the bottom of the sea with large stones. During this time the outer bark rots and is washed off by the constant motion of the sea, while the inner bark becomes bleached, white and softened. Next, the fibre is separated from the wood, washed with rainwater and dried in the sun.

Goods Made From Mats

Many goods are made using woven flax and/or tapa. Tongan basketry is most famous in the South Pacific and different types of weave are used to make all types of baskets. Tongans also weave bangles, sun hats, fans, handbags, trays, plant sitters, plant hangers, bread baskets, table centers, bassinets, wall pieces, slippers and beautiful animal toys. Plus for flooring, Tongans make large oval mats called fala tui, which are the pride of many living rooms. You name it, Tongans can make it!