The tapora is a definite basket made for harder usage. They are quickly made from a cocoanut leaf on the spot where required and are discarded after their immediate use is fulfilled, Fig. 154.

Figure 154.
The tapora basket.

A piece of cocoanut leaf of the desired length is selected from towards the tip end of the leaf. Before making the second cut, the leaflets on either side are counted to ensure that they are of equal number. The under sides of the leaflets are towards the plaiter and the butt end towards the left. The baskets vary in size according to the use to which they are to be put. For the purposes of this description, a piece of cocoanut leaf midrib is cut off, carrying seven leaflets on either side. In position, the upper set of leaflets run naturally towards the right.

Commencing at the left, the first leaflet is left in its natural direction as the first dextral, Fig. 155, D. 1. The second leaflet is bent to the left over the first to form the first sinistral, S.1. The following leaflets are similarly dealt with in pairs, the first of the pair retaining its natural direction as the dextral and the second being twisted back over it to the left to act as a sinistral. As the plaiting proceeds, the sinistrals pass over and under the crossing dextrals in a check stroke. It is really immaterial whether the second leaflet of the pair crosses over or under the dextral in the first stroke at the midrib, but whatever the first sinistral does has to be adhered to througout to maintain the check technique. When the plaiting has reached a sufficient depth, the dextrals are successively turned over at right angles and directed down the course of a sinistral. The turn is held in position by the next dextral. Thus in page 173

Figure 155.
Tapora basket, plaiting the side.

the Figure, the depth has been reached after the first dextral, D.1., has crossed four sinistrals, S1-S4. For the next stroke, the dextrals D2 and D4 are raised, when the new sinistral, S5, is bent into position. The first dextral, D1, is then bent over and laid along the course of the new sinistral, S5. In making the ordinary check stroke, the next dextral, D2, passes over D1 and holds the turn in position. On the next stroke, D3 and D5 are raised, and when S6 is laid in position, D2 is doubled over, laid along S6 and fixed at the top by D3. Thus, when the full depth is reached, with each re-arrangement of the dextrals, a new sinistral is placed in position, and a dextral turned down. The turned down dextrals, however, are only crossed by the top dextral as it is merely a temporary arrangement to keep them out of the way.

When all the leaflets on one side of the midrib are plaited, the plaiting is continued round the end by carrying on with the leaflets from the opposite side. The right end of the midrib is turned upwards and the first pair on the unplaited side continues the technique. Thus the first of the pair continues as a dextral, D8, whilst the second passes over it as a sinistral, and continues the check plait by passing under D7, over D6, and under D5. D4 is doubled down under it and the technique is carried on as before. The only difference on this side is that the sinistrals run in the natural direction of the leaflets and the dextrals have to be bent to the right to function.

When the end is reached, the disengaged dextrals will come round to engage the disengaged sinistrals shown on the left of Fig. 155. The result now is that the sides of the basket have been completed all round. From the upper page 174margin, the free ends of the sinistrals project upwards and those of the dextrals project downwards as in Fig. 156.

Figure 156.
Tapora basket, sides completed.

The open space bounded by the upward projecting sinistral wefts has now to be closed in to form the bottom or takere of the basket. This use of the word takere is taken from the bottom of a canoe. The free ends of the leaflets are plaited (hiri) into a three-ply braid. Ka hiri te takere o te tapora—"the bottom of the tapora is braided."

The braiding is commenced at the kauru tip end of the leaf midrib. The basket is stood on the butt end of the leaf midrib with the open part towards the worker. In Fig. 157A the upward directed sinistral wefts are shown on the inner part of the diagram whilst the downward directed dextrals are shown on the outer part. The elements on the left are numbered numerically and those on the right

Figure 157.
Tapora basket.

A. Bottom with free leaflets in pairs. B. Commencement of closure.

page 175alphabetically. The dextral which lies on the course of a sinistral received the same number or letter and they are dealt with in pairs. The first pair on the left and the right are left to the judgment of the plaiter.

The first sinistral on the left, S1, is pulled taut with the right hand, and the dextral corresponding, D1, is drawn up from under the crossing weft. The latter is untwisted and straightened out into its natural position across the sinistral, S1. The first free sinistral on the right, Sa, is then drawn over D1 as in Fig. 157B. These wefts now provide the three elements for commencing the three-ply braid. The first right dextral, Da, which is paired with Sa, is left where it is.

Turning to the left, the next pair is S2 and D2. The sinistral, S2, is pulled across the three elements already in position, whilst its dextral companion, D2, is drawn up from under the crossing weft. It is crossed over S2 and over the braid elements on the left to occupy a middle position as in Fig. 158A. Thus the sinistral element of the pair is discarded for the time being after being crossed by its dextral companion, but the dextral itself enters into the plaiting of the braid. It is immaterial whether the previous middle element, Sa, remains in the middle with D2 or joins the left element, Dl. Whichever it joins, they form a single ply in the braid. A couple of turns of the braid may be made following the usual braid technique of bringing the outer ply alternately from either side over the middle element. Thus from Fig. 158A, the right outer element, S1, is brought over D2 to the middle line.

Figure 158.
Tapora basket, continuation of closure of bottom.

Attention is now directed towards the next pair on the right, Sb and Db. The dextral is left where it is and page 176the sinistral Sb falls naturally into position along the course of the last element, which came in from the right, S1, as in Fig. 158B. It enters into the composition of the braid with S1. A couple of turns are taken, when attention is directed to the left.

The next pair is S3 and D3. The sinistral is again pulled taut across the braid and crossed by the dextral, D3, which after being pulled up from under its last crossing weft crosses its sinistral pair on the way to the middle of the braid to take part in its composition, Fig. 158C.

Enough has been done to demonstrate the technique of the braid. After the start, attention is directed alternately to the pairs on the left and on the right. Of these pairs, only one element is used to plait into the braid. On the left it is the dextral which is lifted from under the crossing weft holding the downward turn in position. The left sinistral is merely pulled taut across the braid and kept in position by its dextral companion crossing it, as shown by S2 and S3 in Fig. 158C. The first left sinistral is the only one used in the braid. On the right side, it is the free sinistrals that enter into the braid, therefore the dextrals on that side are left where they are, turned down on the outer side of the basket, as shown in Fig. 156.

From Fig. 158C, the next sinistral on the right, Sc, continues the plait, and so on alternately from side to side until the end is reached by using up all the left dextrals and right sinistrals. The object is now to go back along the bottom and fix the elements hitherto left out (the left sinistrals and right dextrals) by incorporating them in a continuation of the three-ply braid.

Second Braid. The bottom of the basket is now turned and the end of the plaited three-ply braid doubled over. This reverses the position of the unplaited elements, for the turned down dextral wefts are on the left. The unused sinistrals now come into the braid from the right, Fig. 159. With regard to the sinistrals, if Fig. 158C is referred to it will be seen that though the sinistrals S2 and S3 were crossed by their dextral pairs, D2 and D3, they did not enter into the braid. The crossing by the dextrals merely continued the check plait of the basket. Thus they are still free and come in from the right as shown in Fig 159. Their normal direction is now in the normal line of the braid elements. Similarly, when the dextrals on the left are pulled up from under the crossing weft, their normal direction is page 177

Figure 159.
Tapora basket, second stage of braiding the bottom finish.

also in the line of the braid elements. Thus we have a set of elements on either side that are simply added alternately to the braid by bringing them over the near ply into the middle position. Hence in the completed part of the braid in Fig. 159, D1 was first added from the left. Then the order was S1 from the right, D2 from the left and S2 from the right. On the left, D3, and D4 are shown in their original position before being pulled up and straightened. D3 should really be drawn up and joined with the ply, A, whilst the sinistral, S3, is ready on the right to be joined in with the ply, B. The next stroke must come from the left so that the ply C must be brought over B to the middle, and at the same time the next weft from the left, D3, will be pulled up, straightened and fall naturally into position on the ply C. This simple technique is continued until all the free ends are used and the end of the braid is reached. The ends are plaited on as a free braid and tied into an overhand knot. The knot is pushed through the end of the basket into the inside, and if the braid is long enough it is brought out and then in again.

The double braiding makes a very strong finish that will not loosen under a heavy weight.

Variety of Bottom Technique.

(1.)

Single braid finish, hiri tahi. All the free ends of dextrals and sinistrals on either side are plaited together in one length of braid. Thus the left sinistrals are crossed over the braid as in the previous technique but it is then twisted back with the next sinistral page 178from the right and becomes an element of the braid. Similarly, the dextrals on the right are pulled up and crossed over the braid where it is held by one of the plies of the braid crossing it. It is then doubled back and enters the braid from the left. Both these two sets run in a direction opposite to the working direction of the braid, hence their rejection in the former technique until the bottom was turned and the braid picked them up on its return when their direction coincided. This finish is not so good and will not carry a heavy load without unravelling. Where the load is not heavy and a quickly made basket is desired, it may be used.

(2.)

Twist, takere taviri. In this variation after the first length of braid has been plaited as in the double braid technique, on the return journey the second set of wefts are twisted round (taviri) instead of being braided. In plaiting the first length of braid, the right dextrals are pulled up, brought over the braid and fixed by one stroke of the crossing sinistral, similar to that of left sinistrals by their corresponding dextrals. Thus when the braid is turned over to commence the second course, the dextrals from what is now the left, and the sinistrals from the right, cross each other in the middle line above the first braid. These are simply twisted in turn round the turned-back braid for a couple of twists, and the end carried on to prolong the braid, as in A, Fig. 160. The leaflets that Figure 160. Tapora basket, twisted finish at bottom. page 179took part in the first course of the braid are shown with their midribs, to distinguish them from the second set, which are plain. Hence in Fig. 160, the sinistrals, S1, 2 and 3, have been so treated and also the dextrals, Dl, 2 and 3. As D3 was the last to be twisted round the middle twist A, it is now the turn for a leaflet from the right. This is S4, which is picked up on the right side of the twist A, and brought over it from the right, just as the last leaflet, D3, was brought over from the left. This will be followed by D4, S5 and D5, in that order. At the end, the middle ends forming A, are knotted together and thrust up through the bottom of the basket. This finish looks neat enough, but is liable to loosen and unravel, if subjected to the strain of a heavy load. The upper edges of the tapora are formed by splitting down the leaf midrib and thus opening out the basket. When the basket is filled, the split midrib edges of the rim may be tied together with a piece of hau bark.

Tapora from one Continuous Midrib Strip.

This variety has the full length of both sides made from a single midrib strip taken from one side of the leaf. The length of the strip taken must therefore be twice the length of the basket. The leaflets are plaited from end to end in the same manner as the nikau sheets for thatching a roof.

Figure 161.
Variation of tapora basket, ends of single strip commencement.

If at the commencement, the depth of the plaiting is six strokes, there will be six plaited sinistrals with unplaited free parts projecting beyond the first dextral. Similarly on the right end, there will be six dextrals projecting beyond the last sinistral. The two ends of the plaited sheet are now brought together, Fig. 161.

The right end of the sheet is now on the left of the diagram. The first dextral, Dl, and the last sinistral, Sx, are shown forming the margins of the plaited portion. The two ends of the midrib strip are tied together by a prolongation of the strip, A.

The two sets of crossing elements are now provided. The dextrals on the left are separated into two series of alternates to continue the check technique, and the first sinistral, S1, is placed in position. Then the others follow in order until the triangular gap is filled in, Fig. 162.

Figure 162.
Tapora variety, plaiting of end.

The sides are thus completed. In plaiting the sheet, the dextrals are doubled down as in the previous tapora.

The bottom is closed in the same manner as the others, by the single or double braid method. Though the rim is practically round, the bottom is elongated by stretching it out and taking one end as the commencing point.

Though the midrib upper edge of this variety looks better, in that it is continuous and does not gape at either end, it is not made for its better appearance. In cases where cocoanut leaves are not abundant and baskets for different people are required for distribution of food, the continuous midrib tapora is made. If a length of leaf sufficient for two baskets were cut transversely into two, the basket made from the shorter leaflets of the tip end portion would be smaller than that made of the longer and more widely spaced leaflets from the butt-end portion. This would create dissatisfaction. By splitting the leaf longitudinally, however, each strip shared the longer butt leaflets and the shorter tip-end leaflets and two baskets of exactly even size page 181were made. This variety of basket is therefore a diplomatic solution of a difficulty that might lead to strained relationships.

Use. The tapora is the commonest container for fruit, food products and fish. In some cases the midrib is not split down and fruit is put into it by widening out one of the interspaces between the leaflets. The leaflets are then brought close together and the basket is really a closed bag. The closed form may be used slung on either side of a make-shift pack saddle for the transport of fruit, as is done in Mangaia. The butt end of the midrib may be left long as a handle to carry over the shoulder.

Name. The tapora in Rarotonga and Mangaia is called a peru. The form made from the one midrib strip is said by the Mangaians to be the true ohini, whilst the ohini described in this work is said to have been introduced from Tahiti, where it is called a pohini.