MATERIAL WORLD

Tunakaimanu Fielakepa, the Dowager Lady Fielakepa, is the world’s foremost authority on koloa, an intricate and ancient textile-making practice from the Pacific island of Tonga. Now, for the first time, she’s curated an exhibition abroad—and it’s in Hong Kong

In Tonga, there are long-held traditions about wedding presents. “From the boy’s side, the family give lots of pigs and food to the bride’s family,” explains 83-year-old Tunakaimanu Fielakepa, the Dowager Lady Fielakepa, a stateswoman of the Polynesian island nation. “And the girl’s side present koloa to the groom’s family.” Koloa is an overarching term for textiles made by Tongan women. The practice takes many forms, including ngatu, a cloth normally made from bark and inscribed with intricate patterns and symbols in dark inks; ta’ovala, mats woven from strips of pandanus leaves; and kafa, rope-like creations of braided coconut fibre or, sometimes, human hair. Certain koloa are saved for one-off ceremonial occasions, then stowed away; others, such as ta’ovala mats, are worn multiple times a week. “They are not made…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 2020

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