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Samoan Material Culture
Combs
Combs
Pieces of coconut leaflet midrib were used by the Samoans to comb out the hair in a similar manner to combing out the lauulu hair tufts of the tuinga headdress but they did not seem to have been combined into permanent articles for combing. Permanent articles termed selu were made for decoration. The teeth of the selu combs formed the lower ends of a decorative framework for sticking in the hair. Combs were made of both green and dry coconut leaflet midribs and of pau wood.
Green coconut leaflet combs (selu tuaniu) were temporary ornaments made from the green leaflet midrib (tuaniu) and were worn by the rank and file during any special activities, such as carrying stones for a house platform. Such combs were made in two forms; a horizontal row of triangles, or a long vertical form.
The triangular form (Plate LV, A, 7) consists of green midribs partly split to embrace a cross piece, with the split portions worked into triangles above the cross piece and the lower unsplit ends forming teeth for insertion into the hair. A number of triangles so formed were pushed together on the cross piece with their bases touching. (See figure 321.)
The long vertical form (Pl. LV, A, 1) consists of a number of long pieces of green midrib bound together with the long filamentous ends of other green midribs in three bands about 2 inches apart. The lashing of the bands consists of wrapped work technique in the upper band and half of the middle one while the rest is finished off with a wrapped twine. The technique is described in the next type of comb.
Dry coconut leaflet combs (selu tuinga) were made of dry midribs which were scraped and rounded and fastened together with strong single coconut husk fibers in wrapped twines which form good examples of Samoan fine work. Decorative variety was obtained by using hair in the bindings and in post-European times by the addition of glass beads.
page 623The type comb (Pl. LV, A, 5) was commenced at the narrow top end with 9 pieces of midrib each 7 inches long. The first lashing row was a fixation lashing formed of a combination of wrapped work and a wrapped twine. (See figure 322.)
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Figure 321.—Coconut leaflet comb (selu tuaniu):
a, a long piece of green midrib (1) is split evenly into two (2 and 3), commencing at about 3 inches from the butt end and continuing right through to the tip end. An unsplit midrib strip (4) is used as a crossbar and passes between the split portions of (1) of which the left piece (2) is in front. b, The rear strip (3) is brought forward over the cross piece (4), diagonally down to the left over the front piece (2) and back under the cross piece to its original side. c, The front strip (2) is wound diagonally over the back to pass to the right of the stem (1) and cross diagonally upwards (7) and to the left over the front of the cross piece. d, The rear strip (3) repeats its forward diagonal turn to make a second turn (6) parallel to its first turn (5) and return to its position at the back. e, The front strip (2) repeats the diagonal turn (8) parallel with its first turn (7). f, Alternate turns are made by the two strips, each turn to the outer side of the previous one until the triangle of six or more turns of each is formed. The ends are simply passed through under the last crossing strip.
About 1 inch from the first lashing, the primary set of nine midribs was reinforced by another nine midribs placed individually on the right sides of the previous elements. The 18 midribs were lashed together in exactly the same method employed in the first lashing except that the passive element of the weft was in front. The wrapped work is made with the long ends of the midribs towards the worker. (See figure 323.)
Owing to reversing the sides on the completion of each course, the binding turns which are always made towards the right, show in opposite directions on each course and thus give a chevron effect. The hair strands are crossed on each other at the end of each course. When sufficient depth has been obtained, the horizontal hair strands are fixed by tying them together with a reef knot, generally in the space between the marginal and the premarginal midribs to hide the knot. Variety for decorative effect is obtained by change of material. In the comb described, 14 courses were made with hair, then 6 courses with thick coconut fiber, followed in turn by 4 courses of thicker strands of hair (with hair also as the binding material), by 8 courses of hair with coconut fiber binding and ending up with 4 courses of coconut fiber. The two horizontal elements, in this instance, were finished off with a reef page 624knot on the outer side of the marginal midrib while the end of the binding element was knotted around a midrib. In some combs the end of the binding element is simply pushed back between the layers formed by the transverse courses. The depth of the comb covered by the transverse courses was 1.8 inches and the lower ends of the midribs project below as free teeth for 4 inches.
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Figure 322.—Wrapped work and wrapped twine (comb):
a, with the short ends of the midribs towards the worker, the wrapped work commences on the left side on the first midrib (1). A long piece of thick coconut fibre (tuatua) is doubled round the left side of the midrib (1). One end (10) remains passive and is passed horizontally along the back of the midribs. In length it is a little more than twice the width of the comb at this part. The active part (11) makes the first series of wrappings. From the first midrib (1), it passes to right over (1 and 2), turns around the back of (2) downwards and to the left to reappear in front in the space between (1 and 2) and below the previous turn. In passing around the back, it crosses over the horizontal passive element (10). From the first interspace, the active element makes an anterior turn upwards and towards the right over two midribs (2 and 3), passes back and down towards the left around the same two midribs to reappear again in the first interspace below the second anterior turn. In passing around the back, it again crossed over the passive element (10). All turns at the back pass over the passive element which is thus completely hidden. From the first interspace, the active element passes upwards and to the right over three midribs (2, 3, and 4). It turns around 4, downwards and to the left over two midribs (4 and 3) and emerges in front in the second interspace between (2 and 3). The wrapped work technique is now established. In front, towards the worker, the active element passes upwards and to the right over three midribs and at the back, it comes back over two. Each turn thus advances by the space of one midrib. The last three midribs (7, 8, and 9) are crossed anteriorly and after the fibre returns back over two at the back (8 and 9), it passes over the same two anteriorly. This ends the wrapped work stage of the lashing and was used in the upper and part of the middle lashing in the preceding comb. b, The passive element (10) which projects out beyond the right is doubled around the end midrib (9) and brought horizontally along the lower side of the wrapped lashing in front, where it again remains passive. The active element (41) page 625passes around the end midrib (9), passes over the passive element (10) and reappears below in the end space between the midribs (8 and 9). c, The active element (11) takes a vertical turn upwards (12), passes back and down around the wrapped turns and reappears in the same interspace. d, The wrapped twine technique now commences. The craftswoman turns the work so that she may work from left to right and thus use the left hand and thumb for holding the turns made and the right hand for threading the end of the active element through the interspaces. The last midrib (9) is thus on the left, the passive element (10) above the wrapped turns and the active element (11) above the wrapped turns in the space between the midribs (9 and 8). The active element (11) passes obliquely downwards towards the right over the midrib (8) and goes back in the interspace on its right making the turn (13). It turns vertically upwards around the wrapped turns at the back and comes forwards through the same interspace. It then descends obliquely to the right over the next midrib (7) making the turn 14, passes back in the interspace on the right of the midrib (7), passes vertically upwards at the back around the wrapped turns and comes forward in the same interspace. This wrapped twine is continued, downwards and to the right over each midrib and vertically upwards at the back to reappear above in the same interspace. The passive element (10) is crossed by each turn in front. On arriving at the last interspace on the right between the midribs (2 and 1), the active element (11) passes up at the back around the only complete wrapped turn (15) in this space and coming forward is tied with a reef knot to the end of the passive element (10). e, Viewed from the back, the reverse wrapping turns passing over two midribs with the vertical turns of the wrapped twine are shown.
The other varieties of tuinga comb shown in Plate LV are based on the same principles of construction as the one described but are rendered more ornate by the addition of beads. In some of them, not all the upper midrib ends reach the apex.
In the comb (Pl. LV, A, 6) the two middle midribs and each marginal one reach the top but a short midrib extending from the lower end of the decorative lashings is added to the outer side of the marginal midribs. The other midribs forming the comb are cut off obliquely a little above the main cross lashing. The main cross lashing before the commencement of the decorative courses consists of wrapped work over threes for one course which is followed by a wrapped twine. The decorative part is embellished with rows of white and blue beads added to the binding element on every third course after it makes the crossings to either side. The midrib pairs that project upwards to the apex are wrapped with a spiral of coconut fiber on which beads are strung at intervals. After stringing a bead, the fiber passes between the 2 midribs and thus fixes the bead in position.
In the comb (Pl. LV, A, 2) the two middle and two marginal midribs from either, side are carried up to the apex. The other midribs are cut off straight just above the main cross lashing. The lashings consist of wrapped work without the wrapped twine. (See figure 324.)
The comb (Pl. LV, A, 8) is taller and more elaborate in the arrangement of beads.
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Figure 323.—Comb binding:
a, an inch from the first binding (1), the 18 pieces of midrib are lashed together with a similar binding (2) as stated. Immediately beyond the second lashing (2), a long strand of horse hair (3), containing about 6 or more hairs, is doubled around the second midrib (4) from the left and runs parallel towards the right with the second lashing. A portion of the hair strand is on either side of the row of midribs at the same level. b, The hair strand (3) is lashed to the midribs by a single thick coconut fibre (5), which is tied to the midrib (4) between the hair strand and the second lashing so that the knot is concealed. The fibre (5) is then brought up diagonally across the crossing of the hair strand (3) and the midrib (4) in a direction upwards and to the right. It then crosses to the other side in the interval between two midribs, passes under the hair strand at the back, crosses upwards diagonally to the outside of the crossing of the hair strand with the next midrib (6), passes over the strand and returns to the near side in the next interval between the midribs (6 and 7). On the near side, it passes under the hair strand and then up over it on the outside of the crossing with the midrib (7) thus making the loop (8). In this way the fibre zigzags from side to side in each inter-midrib space. The alternate midribs are crossed by the fibre from below upwards and to the right on one side and the other alternates are crossed in a similar manner on the other side. c, The method in which the fibre crosses is shown in cross section, where (3) is the horse hair strand doubled around the midrib (4). The coconut fibre (5) is shown coming up from below the midrib (4) and crossing in the space between the midribs (4 and 6) by passing over the hair strand on the far side and then under the hair strand on the near side. It makes the crossing (8) and continues as shown. When the cross binding with the fibre reaches the right margin, the comb is turned in order that the right margin where the binding finished may be on the left and the work proceeds again from left to right on the next course formed with the braid strands. d, The numbering in the figure does not follow that in the previous figures. The first course of the hair strands (3) after being bound on the second last midrib (8) by the turn (5), is terminated on the marginal midrib (7) by crossing the two hair strands so that the near strand goes to the back and the far strand appears on the near side of the midribs. The two strands are then doubled around to the right to form the next course (4) parallel with the previous one. The coconut fibre (5) passes to the back in the space between the midribs (7 and 8) and takes a turn around the hair strand of course (4) oh the far side of the midrib (8). It then crosses in the next space between (8 and 9) and reappears on the near side under the hair strand to make the turn (6). From here the technique is exactly as before.
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Figure 324.—Wrapped work:
a, front view—the active element (1) of the weft crosses two midribs in front; b, back view—the active element (1) crosses one midrib at the back and also passes around the passive element (2) of the weft. Beads may be threaded on the active fibre (1) after it appears on either side of the midribs and on whatever rows are desired.
The selu tuinga as the name implies was associated with the tuinga headdress of human hair and was probably used more before the elaborate lave frame with mirrors was introduced into the decorative scheme. The term selu tuinga is sometimes applied to the long vertical comb made of green midribs (Pl. LV, A, 1) which on account of its length was sometimes used as a framework for feathers with the tuinga headdress. The association of the comb with the headdress has probably led to the wrapped work technique being used with the rather inferior material of green midribs.
Wooden combs (selu pau). Wooden combs cut out of pau wood conform somewhat in shape to that of the dry leaflet combs. Of two combs figured, one (Pl. LV, A, 3) is cut short at the upper end but a middle vertical projection carries out the idea of the triangle. A longer form (Pl. LV, A, 4) projects well upwards and maintains the triangular shape more clearly. Holes, circles, and semicircles, with radiating spaces, have been cut through the wood and the triangle motif is carved in intaglio. The general shape of the comb and the use of intaglio carving come within the sphere of Samoan craftsmanship but the perforated work creates the suspicion that the carved wooden comb is a modern development rendered possible by the acquisition of steel tools.