Videos
Na dau talitali - Ki na veisiga ni mataka(Art of Mat Weaving - What Direction for the Future?)
| Description | Documentation of cultures and traditions at the Fiji Museum was primarily done with audio recording devices. However, video production was introduced in the mid-90s to explore the power of both audio and visual for communication. Fiji Museum's first video was titled "The Art of Mat Weaving." The choice of mat weaving as a subject for documentation signifies the importance of this art form for the Indigenous Fijians or iTaukei and for most of the ethnic communities in the Pacific region. Mat weaving is predominantly a female domain and one that measures the yau, or wealth, of a family. Mats are widely used by the iTaukei for homes and cultural exchanges. The art of mat weaving is still alive in traditional rural communities, but is slowly diminishing in urban centers. With fewer skilled mat weavers around and the high demand for the commodity, prices for mats have continued to rise. It has become an important source of income for skilled mat weavers.In Fiji, there are two main resources in making mats, Pandanus Caricous, locally known as voivoi and kuta. Voivoi is an important raw material used in making mats, especially for communities living in the maritime and coastal areas. Meanwhile, kuta, a special reed, is used among inland tribes in larger volcanic islands. This video explores both the traditional and commercial aspect of mat weaving. However, one of the main challenges in this tradition is the availability of raw materials that are being affected by agricultural activities. Related Collection can be found at shorturl.at/apuxR | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Manage No | VI00000577 | Running Time | 12'42'' |
| Country | Fiji | ||
| ICH Domain | Traditional craft skills | ||
| Videos Photographer | N/A | Year | 1997 |
| Place | Fiji | File Size | N/A |
| Definition | N/A | File Format | N/A |
| Copyright | Fiji Museum |
|
|