Magimagi is a
fibrous
Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a #Natural fibers, natural or Fiber#Artificial fibers, artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The stronge ...
product made from
coconut husk.
The process of
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
the husk into the traditional look is very labor-intensive. The earliest record of the unique Magimagi design is listed in the ''Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition'' by Wilkes (Wilkes, 1845). Concerning the huts named
bures that were on the island Wilkes says, “The walls and roof of the mbure
ureare constructed of
cane
Cane or caning may refer to:
*Walking stick or walking cane, a device used primarily to aid walking
* Assistive cane, a walking stick used as a mobility aid for better balance
*White cane, a mobility or safety device used by many people who are ...
s about the size of a finger, and each one is wound round with
sennit
Sennit is a type of cordage made by plaiting strands of dried fibre or grass. It can be used ornamentally in crafts, like a kind of ''macramé'', or to make straw hats. Sennit is an important material in the cultures of Oceania, where it is use ...
agimagias thick as cod-line, made from the cocoa-nut husk” (p. 119). The forefathers of the current inhabitants of the Vulaga islands used Magimagi in the construction of their houses and canoes. The unique weaved design is accomplished by Vulaga teams that are able to design many graphics into the look.
Magimagi coconut trees take about five years to bear fruit. The husks from the nuts are
braided and
woven
Woven fabric is any textile formed by weaving. Woven fabrics are often created on a loom, and made of many threads woven on a warp and a weft. Technically, a woven fabric is any fabric made by interlacing two or more threads at right angles to on ...
into a strong, thin rope "as thick as a cod line". The Magimagi coconut only grows in the Lau group of island in the nation of
Fiji Islands
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
. This scarce natural resource is weaved into artistic beauty by the people of
Vulaga who are the originators of this unique talent.
Types
There are three different types of weaving;
#Talitali – this is the weaving that is done on horizontal beams.
#Lalawa - this is the weaving that is done on vertical beams.
#Malo/Lairo - this weaving is the design insert.
Image:Magimagi - Oct25meetingpics 039.jpg
Image:Magimagi - Mainbeam.jpg
Image:Magimagi - Bwdiag.jpg
Image:Pillar_covered_in_woven_magimagi_-_20071021.jpg
Image:Magimagi - Diags.jpg
Image:Magimagi - Bilo.jpg
Image:Magimagi - Bwzia.jpg
Image:Magimagi - Clrzia.jpg
Notable people
*
Joana Monolagi - self-taught masi and magimagi artist.
See also
*
Architecture of Samoa
The architecture of Samoa is characterised by openness, with the design mirroring the culture and life of the Samoan people who inhabit the Samoa Islands.
References
Further reading
* Wilkes, C. (1845). ''Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition: Tongataboo, FeeJee Group, Honolulu'' - Volume III.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
;
Suva, Fiji: United States Government; Fiji Museum.
{{Knots
Fijian culture