Kauai History and Beating Kapa
Making kapa was hard work that required patience (ahonui) and humility (ha’aha’a). Plants must be grown, tools must be made, and large blocks of time set aside to slowly pound the fibers, and then decorate the cloth. Wauke (paper mulberry) was the preferred source of bast fibers for kapa, but it was also made from ʻulu, ōpuhe, maʻaloa, māmaki, ʻākala, ʻākalakala, and hau. The wauke tree was cut, stripped, and soaked in water. When the water was drained away, the fibers began to stick together and the entire bundle could be lifted as one mass (mo`omo`o). Mo`omo`o was then often stored until enough material had accumulated to make a large piece of kapa cloth. When enough mo`omo`o bundles were accumulated, these were soaked for half a day, then put on a flat stone (kua pōhaku) and pounded gently to loosen the fibers using a rounded beater (hoahoa). They were then laid between layers of mai`a (banana leaves) for a week to mature and ferment, making the fibers softer. These bundles were then laid on a long piece of wood with a flat even surface, called a kua kūkū. The yellowish wood of kāwa‘u was especially favored for making the wooden anvils because when struck by the wooden beaters, the wood of kāwa‘u produced resonant tones that were sometimes accompanied by chants. They beat the pulp until a solid strip formed. The cloth expanded greatly with each beating, and was often doubled over and beaten again. The first beating was called ho`omo`omo`o, the second kuku, and the third ho`oki.
The beaters and anvils were made by the men of the village. Kapa beaters were usually made from a particularly hard-wooded species known as koai‘e, a species closely related to koa. For the finishing work, each maker used a beater called an iʻe kūkū with four flat sides each carved with intricate geometric designs and patterns that would leave an impression in the cloth unique to the maker. This watermarking, or embossed pattern, is considered unique to Hawaiian kapa. The iʻe kūkū has grooves of various widths on each side for different purposes in working the cloth. The pepehi side may have only four grooves, while the ho’opai side may have twenty grooves. One side of the iʻe kūkū has a pattern known as the watermark. This is the side for the final beating which stamped a unique design permanently into the kapa.
The fermentation process and additional beatings used by the Hawaiians gave their kapa a superior homogenous quality. Hawaiian kapa also displayed the greatest variety of attractive geometric designs and texture not found anywhere else in Polynesia.
Kauai History and Preparing Kapa
Kapa is a fabric that was made by native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees. It is similar to tapa found elsewhere in Polynesia but differs in the methods used in its creation. Kapa was used primarily for clothing, while other uses depended on a person’s place in ancient Hawaiian society. Kapa moe (bed covers) were reserved for the aliʻi or chiefly caste while kapa robes were used by kāhuna or priestly caste.
Families would grow their own wauke (paper mulberry) for their use. Tended by both men and women, wauke was grown around the lo`i (taro pond) and nurtured to grow straight and tall. The optimal trees for making fine kapa were from eight to twelve feet tall, and harvested when they are about one to two inches in diameter before they were two years old. As the wauke tree grew, planters cut off the side branches, so a straight trunk stalk without branch holes could later be stripped. Two of the varieties grown in Hawaii that make good kapa are called Laumana or Manalima. Laumana has a straighter growing habit that requires less attention while the Poa’aha tends to produce more branches.
After the trees were harvested, the non-fibrous outer bark (‘ili lepo o waho) was stripped within a few days otherwise it was difficult to remove. Traditionally Hawaiians used various shell implements to scrap away the layers of outer bark which consists of the rough brown bark, a layer of dark green, and pale green beneath. The inner bast fibers (‘i‘o o loko) were then soaked in running water, such as a high tide pool to break down the woody fibers and wash away the starch. More soakings and fermentation followed, resulting in a felted, matted, seamless mass, but leaving the fibers still tough and resilient when finally removed from the waters. At this time in the process, the women of Hawaii would often twist cordage out of the fibers, for use as fish nets (upena) and as carrying nets (koko) from which to hang calabashes of wood and gourds.
Kauai History and Clothing
Hawaiian requirements for shelter and clothing were minimal due to their tropical climate. The first Polynesian canoe voyagers brought wauke plants (paper mulberry) with them to continue producing kapa. Kapa was a fabric made by native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs like wauke, mamaki, oloa, `akala, or hau plant fibers. It was a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, but Hawaiian kapa (bark cloth) had many useful functions in everyday life in early Hawaii. As kapa in Hawaii evolved, its quality surpassed that of any other region displaying a wide variety of textures, weights, and designs.
The basic garments were a malo (loincloth) for men, a pa`u (skirt) for women and a kihei (rectangular shawl) for both. All were made of kapa. Hawaiians used a number of unique techniques including producing watermarks with patterned beaters, printing designs with bamboo stamps, achieving the colors green and blue with vegetable dyes, and beating perfumed flora into the cloth to impart a fragrance. At least 68 individual types of kapa were produced, each with a specific name. Kapa was used for many things other than clothing, including bedding or sheet material and as banners or as wrapping material. Kapa, the fine and softly-rendered bark cloth of ancient Hawai‘i, was an integral part of every important phase of one’s life – from birth and marriage and death. Kapa enfolded newborns, united two souls beneath a single marriage kapa, and protected the remains of departed loved ones.
Other garments included ti leaf capes which provided protection against cold or rain. Ali`i wore feather capes, cloaks, helmets and lei as signs of rank and status. Made from the feathers of hundreds or thousands of birds attached to a mesh backing, feather garments used striking geometric patterns, most often in yellow and red. Since only a few feathers were taken from each bird caught, which was then released, gathering the feathers for one cape could take decades or even generations.
