Antoni Judit: Tapa, a fakéreg művészete. Válogatás Ignácz Ferenc gyűjteményéből. (Távoli világok emberközelben I. Gödöllői Városi Múzeum, 2006)

the yellow pigment is prepared from the root-bark of Morinda citrifolia called nono. The Morinda citrifolia (nono in Tahiti and in Tuamotu, noni in Marquesas and kura in Fiji) is rarely higher than 4-5 m. Its roots were utilized for pigment: the thin bark of the root was carefully peeled off, they filed down the outer layer, then they filtered it after being soaked in lemon juice. If the tapa is dipped into this liquid, it will gain a washproof yellow colour. Tamanu (Calophyllum inophyllum) coming from tropical Asia, a medium sized tree with a blackish trunk raises its big, twisty branches at a 2-3 m height. It likes places near the sea where its kernels easily sprout in the sloppy soil steep with salty sea-water. It makes the splendour of seaside walkways with its oppositely arranged, elliptic, shiny 18-20 cm long leaves and with its pleasant, white flowers reminding us of the linden tree. Its yellowish, round fruits nearly 4 cm in diameter growing in grapes hide spherical, hardly a cut smaller kernels of smooth surface. Polynesian people used to rever it as sacred, similarly to other wood species; they used to carve god statues of its wood, and they used to plant the trees near their sanctuaries. They obtained the yellow pigment from the fruit, probably from the yellowish green oil which is produced when the dried kernel is slightly crushed. Though Cook does not mention any more trees by name, we know from other sources and from present day practice that yellow pigment can be drawn at least from three other plants. 1. Thespesia populnea or the rose tree of Oceania (called miro in Tahiti, milo in Hawaii and in Samoa) belonging to the family of mallows (Malvaceae) is a tree attaining 9 m height at most, with a rounded crown and heart shaped 10-15 cm long, shiny leaves. The yellowish pigment was turned out from the bark of the tree-trunk, and the new-born babies were wrapped in the tapa dyed with this pigment in the Marquesas islands. Certain sources state that pigment could be turned out also from its flowers. 2. The Curcuma viridiflora or Curcuma longa (rea by its Tahiti name and called ago in Samoa) belongs to the family of gingers, and is also mentioned as the saffron of Oceania. It is by grating its fresh tuberous roots that they got at the beautiful yellow pigment which is still in use in Fatuiva (Marquesas Islands). 3. Kava pepper (Piper methysticum) - it is called ava in Tahiti, in Samoa and in Hawaii and yaqona in Fiji - is the raw material of kava, this narcotic beverage well known all over Oceania. Allegedly, one of its variants was also good for the preparation of yellow pigment. The main source of brown dyestuff was the iron tree (Casuarina equisetifolia) already dealt with, more exactly, its sapwood or its phloem; the other source of this colour was the Aleurites moluccana. The tree called ti'a'iri in Tahiti, ama in Marquesan language and lama in Samoa is relatively high, up to 15-20 m, with a spreading and dense foliage, its trunk may attain a diameter of one and a half meter. The bark can easily be detached: the reddish brown pigment is obtained from the filing of the fresh bark. This dyestuff irremovably pervades the tapa due to some other active ingredients it contains. The reddish brown paint was provided by the 'o'a tree (Bischofia javanica) in Samoa and in Tonga, which they mixed up with other colours. Black paint was provided by the ash of the seeds of Aleurites moluccana, and especially by the soot coming off while burning. They produced a glittering red from the succulent husk of the orlean tree (Bixa orellana) issuing from tropical America and used there mainly for body painting. This 6 m tall shrub was introduced into Samoa relatively late, in the beginning of the 19th century. Dyeing often was completed by ornamental motifs: they printed small circles and semicircles which appear separately or in groups on the cloth with the help of bamboo pipes. The characteristic decoration in the Australian islands consisted of handpainted triangles and concentrical circles. The style has changed later on, evidently upon the influence of the European textiles with printed patterns. Tapas with fern pattern appeared in Tahiti at that time, and also the motifs representing flowers, trees and all sorts of vegetal elements. Most often than not, the leaf pattern of a small sized fern, which likes the rocky regions, the so called rimu'ahu (Davallia gibberosa) is identified. In the earliest ornamental style observed by the European travellers in Samoa, the elements taken from nature (shells, starfish, leaves of different trees, foot-prints of birds etc.) can be recognized sometimes in very strongly stylised forms. Beside the patterns painted with the hand at first ("siapo mamanu"= hand painted tapa), also the stamped tapas ("siapo tasina" or "siapo 'elei") are known from fairly remote times. The first design tablets ("upeti") were made from the central midrib of the coconut palm leaf, from bamboo strips and from other vegetal elements producing very fine net-like patterns. In Tonga, it is primarily the soil of the region called Tongatapu which is favourable for the cultivation of paper mulberry tree therefore, tapa ("ngatu" in its local name) is to be found here the most frequently.The accounts from the beginning of the 19th century still mention also the bread-fruit tree