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Samoan Material Culture

Four-ply round sennit

page 244

Four-ply round sennit

A four-ply round plait seen at Asau was used in a fishing line and besides being called by the descriptive name of 'afa langa fa (sennit of four plaits) was locally referred to as fili anufe from its roundness resembling a worm or caterpillar (anufe). (See Plate XX, B, 5.) Many Samoans seem to have forgotten the four-ply plait.

The technique is really a check plait on the round. The rolling of fibres into strands and the joins are the same as in the neater three-ply braids. (See figure 133.)

Figure 133.—Four-ply round braid (fili anufe):

Figure 133.—Four-ply round braid (fili anufe):

a, two plies (1 and 2) are crossed (2) coming from the left being crossed above (1); b, a third-ply (3) is brought from the right and crossed over the nearer weft (2); c, a fourth ply (4) is brought in from the opposite side (left) passing under the outside ply (1) and over the nearer ply (3), as if making a check plait. The principle may now be stated. The outside ply of alternate sides is brought around the back in the opposite direction to the last ply that came in. It passes under the outermost ply on its incoming side and passes over the near ply of the remaining pair. d, The outside ply (1) on the left (c) is turned around the back to the right, passes under the outside ply (2) and over the nearer ply (4) of the remaining pair. e, The outside ply (2) on the right (see d) is turned round the back to the left, passes under the outer ply (3) and over the nearer ply (1) of the remaining pair. f, The next movement will be with the ply (3). By alternately passing to either side, the round plait is continued as shown.