Pandanu`s artisan work

Rurutu has a reputation all around French Polynesia for it`s straw production, hats, peue and other matting weaved with leaves from Pandanus. We find small parcels of land where the stem of pandanus is grown everywhere in the island. Pandanus leaf, after several treatments (cooking 6 to 7 hours with lemon and soap chips for whitening, dry under the sun and softening).According to the usage to which it is designated the slices are used for weaving hats. Although the utilization of pandanus is almost universal, it is not exclusive. Other materials usually complete the artisan’s panoply, either to add a touch of color, or decoration, or to add more precious objects.

a)The bread baskets, bags or baskets.

The traditional bread baskets adorn the decorative motives trimmed on the pandanus. The women of Rurutu make numerous sorts of little bread baskets, bags or baskets of all kinds and sizes nicely decorated either by trimming motives or adding colour material like fei leaves, pieces of kere, the inside parts of the bark Of purau the tapa or even the use of the same pareo tissue.Three different bread baskets, bags and baskets are usually weaved parallel.

b) The hats and caps

Pandanus is the raw material used to make hats. Although the young leaf of the coconut palm, bark of the bamboo, and the reed are equally used, these materials demand a long a meticulous preparation that cannot take place at certain times of the year and therefore, these hats are more precious, more rare, and thus more beautiful and expensive. The imagination of the female artisans is unlimited and you even find hats made with kere couscous on a woman.
These hats, seen from far, give the impression of being skin made and resemble slightly to cowboy hats. We can distinguish two sorts of pandanus weaved hats: those that are made from a long weaves band (several weaving motives) which then are sewed to make a hat, and therewise, much more noble; and those which are totally weaved on a shaped hard wood. The men’s hats are of various types, as from their general shape to the weaving motives on the laterals. But it is in the woman’s hats that the artisan’s creativity is expressed on the most beautiful manner. New models appear frequently. Numerous and diverse shapes, they are usually adorned with flowers of pandanus, purau, in kere or in tapa. Lighter and probably more modern, the pandanus cap has the advantage of letting your hair breathe. Like for the hats, the improvising is regularly enough so that each one can find the desired hat which fits the best.

c) The peue and other mats.

The peue and other potata make the real artisan of Rurutu. The biggest (2.50diametres to 3 meters) takes a few days work and are all naturally the most expensive. We also find simple rectangular mats in different sizes, also table sets. It could be prudent to order in advance if we wish a specific model or defined measurements. Natte is more rudimentary: the pandanus leaves are simply linked in between themselves. It is often used as doormat at the entry of a house or like the one on horses.

Sculpture

a) On wood.

In spite of richness the ile in miro wood, Rurutu counts with one sculpture, installed in Moerai massive wooden sculpture, popoi tables and umete. Its production is limited, sculpture not being its main activity, it`s also made under order.

b) On coral

Christian David is an original young artisan who sculptures coral (blocks of porites type rethrown by the ocean which recuperates on the Peva beach) has his lost moments. It’s production is limited: a stone carrier and kneeled woman. He takes a very particular care to do the painting of the clothes of the sculpture, he can work under order, but details take long. He lives in Moerai after the gendarmerie towards Haiti.

c) Penu and umete

Penu is daily used to prepare symbolized popoi as Rurutu´s traditional life cannot exist any more. Thus we will not be astonished to know that some artisans make little penu coral for massive tourism. We find some umete in coral at the “artisan’s fare” or at the airport. Assuring the environment protectors, the prime material has it’s different objects coming from rolled blocks rethrown on the beaches of the island and the production is almost confidential. Thus no alternative in the middle.

The tifaifai.

Let it be at the time of  Heiva, of Tere or Me, tifaifai is an object that gives mamas the pride which they have performed. We distinguish two types of tifaifai: those composed of rectangular square parts sewed together, a sort of  geometrical patch work, they play with the association of colours and geometric motives. There are also a motive that has one or two symmetrical axes and “explained” on a colour sheet. We find representations of uru, Pineaples, etc. Besides, the aestheticism of the motives and the harmony of the colour, the quality of the sewing usually makes the difference. We will easily understand the tifaifai sewn by hand are much more expensive than those sewn by machine. The ancient tifaifai are the rare parts that have only come out on great occasions, for tere, or for a wedding...and all very carefully put away in suitcases or wardrobes.

Necklaces and other shell accessories.

In Tahiti, the shell necklaces are traditionally offered at the moment of departure at Rurutu, a necklace of shells or flowers is indifferent when put around the neck for the one that is leaving, even though for a few days. We can still find local shell necklaces made with patience after a long preparation. The shells are pierced with the end of a needle and then threaded with a nylon string. The necessary time for preparation is long. The distinguished necklaces “made in Philippine” which arrive to Polynesia in boxes unfortunately more and more often appear in less occasions. If the tourist can be touched and regret, this importation has a positive side, it avoids pillage of recipes of Rurutu and generally more Polynesians lagoons. As from the shells, ropes of sheet and the artistic weaved fibers of coconut trees, some artisans create bracelets. Sometimes grains of minuscule coral are associated to the shells. This production of tiny original jewels (each part is unique and will most probably not be reproduced) as where more lucrative than the traditional shell necklace, remain thus limited.

The flower necklace

The flower necklace is also very much offered at the entrance and departure. The women that make them combine tiara, frangipanier, miri, boungainvillier and other flowers of the season. There also, it is not unusual to find in these necklaces some grains of dried fruit. It is preferable to order these necklaces in advance if you want to make sure you have it on the given day.

The artists at the airports

A few hours before the plane departures, the boutique which regroups the different artisan associations in Rurutu opens its doors. It is an obliged stop for the tourists or for the ones who come to receive or salute a friend. Besides the flower or shell necklaces, this boutique has the advantage of offering a great variety of hats, mats, peue.  We also find some shells, wooden and coral sculptures, umete, monoi.

The artisans at Auti

Situated in the centre of the village of Auti, the house of the artisans, held by a woman association of the village, offer a selection of objects: baskets, hats, umete, etc (photo)
It is not unusual to find artisans working in the train.

The artisan at Vitaria

In the middle of the vast zone of Vitaria, Tiare. Taputu´s daughter Maureen weaves the pandanus which she prepares on her own.