Today I planted wauke or paper mulberry which is one of the main fiber plants that the Hawaiians used to produce a soft material called kapa to make loincloths, capes, skirts, pillows, sheets, and other garments. One of the unique characteristics of Hawaiian kapa is that it was fermented before being pounded, unlike other fiber materials from around the Pacific. Kapa was much more durable and superior and the Hawaiians turned this into a high art.
After Western contact, the Hawaiian kings preferred to wear modern attire and by 1870 most of the common folks wore cotton fabric. Around that time, the last of the kapa makers passed away and the art was lost. But not forever.
In the 1970s a Hawaiian renaissance took place during the time where native Hawaiians reclaimed many facets of their culture and kapa making was one of them. Relying on old news paper clippings in historical archives, lyrics to old songs, and clues from other cultures the kapa masters of today revived the art through an incredible amount of experimentation and dedication to the craft.
What’s interesting is to become a great kapa maker you have to be a great botanist to grow the plants for fiber and dyes, and a great carver to make the right tools with the right wood for pounding and printing blocks. You also have to be a great graphic designer to come up with bold and intricate patterns.
I’m now thinking we need to plant more wauke!
Originally posted on 2021-09-09, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.