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Category:

Dress(1)

Topic:

Types

Consultant:

Paurino

• tifa = pearl shell
• titi = grass skirt
• uhap = tapa
• filo = high name for hat
• 'usu = hat
• fupuga = hat crown
• mea = hat side or brim
• motar = forehead
• 'eju = occiput
• tei = where

titi = leaf girdle

uha = thick kind of native cloth made of the bark of the masi or jala; filo'u = head

'usu'i = head, synonym of filo'u

fupuga = top of head, crown of head, scalp
mea = the temples

'eju = back of the head

Category:

Dress(2)

Topic:

Types

Consultant:

Urakmata

The sau wore a belt (malhe) which was woven of fine strips of the sa'aga which is used in making the white mats. This was dyed. The width of the model shown was two inches. The dye was made of ura root and the bark of the fava tree, mixed with water and lime.

Taktakai
Breechcloth. This was a woven strip worn around the waist and between the legs and was part of the usual dress of the men. It was woven from strips of the aramea bark. First the outer layer was peeled and the fibrous inside was rolled and left to dry for one day. Then it was stretched and scraped with a pakrava, or smoothed coconut shell scraper. When it was smooth it was left in the sun to dry. It became as soft and smooth as silk, and very comfortable to wear.

Titi.
Over the taktakai was worn a fringed kilt also woven of sa'aga. This had a wide band and a long fringe. In its total length it was quite short and not nearly reaching down to the knees. It was the usual dress.

The usual dress was the taktakai and the titi. The lavalava of uha in those days was called uha. The present terms of kukuluga etc., are measures of cloth.

Shoes.
There were two kinds of sandals. One used in the bush. Sakanav ununu and another worn on the reef. Sakanav unu.

There was a hat of sa'a leaves called fa purou rau sahe.

An uha band was often worn around the head to keep the hair up.

taktakai = clothes

fa'purou = hat; sa'a = tree growing to large size, with very large leaves and long straight branches; the bark, at first, is greyish-green and very smooth; bears bunches of small whitish flowers.

Category:

Dress(3)

Topic:

Types

Consultant:

C.Jacobsen

Or'funa
Breechcloth which was worn under the kukuluga as a supporter in their heavy work of lifting and carrying things.

Titi
A kilt of stripped bark was worn formerly. This was made from the vau and from the armea if for chiefs.

Uha
Uha or tapa was worn as a wrap-around or sulu.

kukuluga = lavalava, sulu

vau = kind of bamboo; armea = tree (paper mulberry?), the inner bark of which was formerly used for making cloth; has pointed leaves with serrated edges and a greyish back.

Category:

Dress(4)

Topic:

Kilt

Consultant:

Niua

Tofua. This was the white mat kilt worn by the sau and chiefs. The commoners wore ordinary mats.

tofua = girdle made of strips of pandanus leaves (sa'aga) consisting of a wide woven band from which long strips are suspended.

Category:

Dress(5)

Topic:

Ornaments

Consultant:

Nataniela

Muleli are two projecting pieces from the tail end of the turtle shell. They were separated from the rest of the shell and worn around the neck or wrists on a string as onaments.

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