731. Tali ibe = Weaving mats

Abstract

"The craft of plaiting mats is a woman's prerogative. Gathering and drying the pandanus leaves, splitting each leaf to proper width and tucking under artfully its edges. Hand -plaited mats are an indispensable accessory to Melanesian living. They carpet wall to wall the inside of the family home. Rolled and presented with hieratic gestures, they are a welcome gift on many occasions. For the newly married they make a nuptial bed, and are received gratefully by the sick and the very old, to come their shrouds." Charlot, p. 12.