Masi: Cloth of The Vanua

This book provides information on the complexity of masi production and its integral place within the cultural traditions of Fiji. As such, it will add substantially to 'our' knowledge; not only about masi, but also Fijian history and cultural traditions.

Elaborately illustrated, we are guided through the complexity and variety of motifs utilized in masi, are taken through the process of production, and are made aware of the current changes being implemented in this art form.

This book highlights the beauty of masi and celebrates the grandeur of this artistic tradition." Masi is associated with the women who make it, and it is perceived as their gift when presented during ceremonial occasions. It is believed the ancestral gods blessed the people of specific regions with the skills and raw materials that are required to make masi.

Barkcloth has been produced, used and exchanged throughout Polynesia for millennia. However, under the influence of Christianity, most Polynesian Island groups have stopped producing and using barkcloth. The only countries that have continued the production and use of barkcloth in Polynesia are Tonga and Fiji. This book presents an analysis of the material, immaterial and visual qualities of masi to explain its cultural importance, use, and gradual, though limited, incorporation within Fijis growing money economy. The analysis presented in this book is founded on pre-Christian beliefs and practices in which masi played an important role to mediate between the sacred and profane and was considered the wealth and clothing of the ancestral gods. Influenced by theories taken from material culture and textile studies, this book demonstrates that masi has both material and immaterial qualities.

About the Author:

Dr. Jara Hulkenberg is a lecturer in Pacific Studies at the Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific and Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Pacific Studies, University of St Andrews. She is the lead researcher on a pilot project entitled Weaving in Fiji and works with Fijian migrants in the UK to assess how and why they continue to live life 'in the Fijian way'. She examines how kinship and complex hierarchical relations are played out in the day-to-day fulfillment of ritual obligations centered on life and religious events. Her publications include Masi: House and cloth of Vanua (2016), The Cost of being Fijian in the United Kingdom (2015), Fijian Kinship: Exchange and migration (2015).