tapa (bark cloth)

Among the most distinguished Samoan art forms is the creation of tapa, or siapo in the Samoan language, an intricately interwoven and hand-painted cloth made from pounded bark strips of the paper mulberry tree. The cloth, a token of wealth and tradition created exclusively by women, is formally gifted for use in special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and gift exchanges. The pinwheel-like motif found on this object, known as manulua, is one of the oldest in Samoan and Tongan design, symbolizing the legacy of royal lineages.