One of the finest and most distinctive arts of Samoa is siapo, bark cloth art known also as tapa. Made from the bast or inner bark of the paper mulberry tree (u‘a), siapo makers have a deep knowledge of the natural environment from which they source pigments, a natural fixative and the tools needed for their craft. Earth tones are created from various sources.

The most important pigment is from the bast or inner bark of the o‘a tree (Bischoffia Javanica) which, when scraped and squeezed, yields a reddish-brown liquid. The O‘a extract is also a natural fixative and is the base for other colours.

A crimson red is obtained from mature seed pods of the loa tree (Bixa Orellana), popularly known to Samoans as the lipstick tree. Another shade of red is obtained from the bark of the mangrove tree (Rhizophora Mucronata). A reddish-brown colour is obtained from powdered ochre, a red-brown stone found in certain areas of Samoa.

Black is obtained from roasting and then burning lama (candlenut). The soot that rises with the smoke is captured on a flat surface and later scraped off and added to the o‘a extract. Lega (turmeric) produces a yellow colour. The discovery and use of these natural dyes resulted in stunning designs; iconic representations of Samoan creativity. But the dyes and fixatives are only one part of the story.

 Seashells, ranging from serrated to straight edges, are used as scrapers to loosen the fibres before being beaten on a tutua (wood anvil) using an i‘e (wood mallet). Beating the bast can spread the 50-100mm strip to more than ten times its original width. Holes invariably appear where small branches will have sprouted off the tree trunk.

Samoan artisans ingeniously deal with this by patching the holes with small pieces of the siapo before laying a second layer on top. The glue that holds the layers together is extracted from masoā, arrowroot starch. Liquid pigments can be painted on to highlight patterns using one of nature’s finest paintbrush: a dry key from a mature fruit of the Pandanus tree.

Hundreds of silk-bristled brushes can be found under one tree. To make a fine-point brush, artisans simply sharpen the bristles of the key. These tools and ingredients require the use of a printing block to print siapo. The motifs that decorate designs can and usually do have meanings derived from the natural world. Floral and leaf patterns are popular motifs and many creatures are referenced. Even the phases of the moon can inspire the artist’s hand.

It has been suggested that in pre-European contact Samoa, patterns were printed from textures created by weaving ‘afa, coconut sennit; that the original siapo printing blocks were not carved from wood as they are now. But it is the carving of the upeti or printing woodblock that was the focus of a carving workshop held at Tiapapata this week.

Guiding participants with their projects was Master Craftsman Avamua Alatina from the village of Sauano near Fagaloa, where a wood carving guild has been established for many generations. In 2012, Avamua was one of several heritage artists to tour New Zealand as part of the celebrations thereof Samoa’s 50th anniversary of independence.