4 TONGAN PAINTINGS ON TAPA

Artist unknown ca 1970?
all about 10 x 18 1nches
oil on tapa

SIAPO VALA SAMOA #19

117cm x 74cm CA1950
PRINTED WITH CARVED WOODEN BLOCKS CALLED UPETE,
THIS TYPE OF CLOTH WAS WORN BY ORATORS AND PRESENTED TO CHIEFS AS GIFTS

SIAPO, SAMOA ?? #18

156 X 130CM

SIAPO VALA, SAMOA #17

Siapo vala, Samoa Ca 1920,
from the estate of Omer Lassonde,

- a well-known New Hampshire artist and member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, most often recognized for his bright landscapes, still-lifes, and genre paintings. Tapa cloths were collected by Lassonde, time spent on the Samoan islands of Tutuilla, Apia, and Upolo in the 1930s, while studying Samoan art and culture. This trip was sponsored by the Governor of NH, and upon returning in 1935 he headed New Hampshire’s WPA art program. The Samoans called Lassonde, “The Painter of Dreams”. These textiles were stored inside a steamer trunk for over 70 years, the approximate age of each being between 70 and 100 years old.
This tapa is of a type that was used at that time as ceremonial presentations to title chiefs, cloths like this were also worn by orators 162cm x 195cm

MASI FIJI #16

250 x 70 cm

NGATU, TONGA WWII #15

Ngatu, Tonga, a Kupesi patterned cloth decorated with the Tongan Coat of Arms, the British Lion, the Norfolk pine lining the road leading to the palace and the dove of peace, this design was one of the most popular during WWII expressing solidarity with Britain

SIAPO SAMOA #14

114 X 114cm Playing card motif, hearts clubs and spades, drawn freehand

MASI FIJI #13

Fine white tapa with simple two stencil decoration Ca 1920 180 x 46cm

SKIRT, TONGA #12

Tongan tapa skirt Ca 1940 160 x 75cm

SIAPO MAMANU, SAMOA #11

Siapo mamanu, Samoa 240 x 370 cm

MASI KESA FIJI #10

Masi kesa Fiji, 250 x 48cm

HIAPO NIUE #9

Hiapo Niue ca 1930 115 x 100 cm
This unusual tapa exhibits many stylistic features typical of Niuean Hiapo of this period
sold thanks Hong Kong

SIAPO TASINA SAMOA #8

Siapo tasina Samoa Ca 1910
175cm x 140cm

MASI KESA FIJI #7

Masi Keas with saffron infill 200 x 60 cm

BARKCLOTH TONGAN TAPA #6

Unique Barkcloth printed with a Tongan Tapa design, salvage marked "Hawaiian Textiles" Japan 1960

MASI KESA FIJI #5

Masi Kesa, Fiji, 320 x 70 cm

WW11 TAPA TONGA #4

Unique Xmas card
"Merry Christmas Malcolm N Janet N"
depicting a Harvard bearing the name "Kwini Salote"
Ca 1940

LARGE WW11 TAPA TONGA #3

Large WWII tapa cloth. 36" wide by 116" long. Unique!!!!!Sold thankyou Wellington

RARE TAPA CLOTH WITH HALLEY'S COMET MOTIF CA 1911 #2

tapa Tonga, Sun moon and Halley's Comet,2.3m X 2m,ca 1911

hold, thanks Wellington

HIAPO TAPA CLOTH , NIUE, CA 1890 #1

measures 56 x 47 inches
This hiapo is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree. It has been decorated with hand-drawn motifs. In the 1880s, many hiapo were produced with a new style of fine freehand decoration. Comprising intricate line work and detailed motifs based on various species of plants, a distinctly Niuean iconography developed. Some scholars believe that many hiapo from this period were made by a single small community on Niue.SOLD thanks Auckland