Large woven mat with fringe on two sides, formed from the unwoven ends. Red wool-like fibre is loosely woven through the stitching along the fringe on one side.

• Specific Techniques

  Pandanus is known as either laufala, laupaogo, or lau'ie, depending on what it’s being used for. When being used for weaving, pandanus leaves takes weeks to be prepared. The leaf is separated into its three layers (traditionally using a beetle wing, known as avi'ivi'I, or with a razor blade now). The leaves are rolled and beaten, soaked, and sun-dried multiples times. To make the leaf brighter, it’s bleached in salt water. When woven, these mats will be finished in the opposite corner of where the weaver started (-for example, the terminal braid in the bottom left corner means it was started in the top right corner). If no terminal braid was attached, the mat wasn’t finished. For this mat, the red fibre would have been a later addition.

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• Type of Item mat
• Culture Samoan
• Material pandanus leaf, fibre
• Measurements height 140.0 cm, width 120.0 cm (overall)

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• Previous Owner George Stallworthy, Robert Stallworthy
• Received from Robert Stallworthy

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• Made in Samoa

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• Creation Date before 1859
• Collection Date between 1834 and 1859
• Ownership Date before 1859, before June 4, 2017
• Acquisition Date on June 4, 2017

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• Item Classes basketry
• Condition good
• Accession Number 3254/0025