Tongan Art Forms

 Tongan Art Forms: 

Ta’ovala (mat weaving):

1. Which of the following is not a way that mat weaving is used for?

a) bedding b) weddings

c) shoe holder d) flooring

2. What do mats signify?

a) love b) respect

c) health d) social status

3. What is the tongan word for ‘mat weaving’?

a) kiekie b) ta’ovala

c) ngatu d) kava

Ngatu Tonga (tapa cloth):

4. From what tree is the bark used to make tapa from?

a) Paper Mulberry b) Wood Blueberry

c) Bone Strawberry d) Card Raspberry

5. The women design the tapa using what?

→the tree bark

6. Where do the patterns on ngatu come from?

→ fish and nature

Wood and bone carvings: 

7. Why is wood carving important to Tongan culture?

→so it does not disappear in the future

8. What are 3 different things that are carved out of bone?

→jewelry, log drums and weapons

9. Were whale bones hard to find for carving? If so, why?

→the tongan people didn’t want to hurt the whales so they only were aloud to get the whale bone if a whale somehow ended up on land.

10. Name 3 different things that are carved out of wood.

→ Patterns, boomerang, wooden bird