Hand crafted Single Tivaevae by Tangi

Size: 155cm wide x 236cm long

Tivaevae - The word is as Polynesian in flavour as the exotic names of the pacific places it belongs to: the Cook Islands of Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, and Atiu.  A visit to any of these Islands is a visit to paradise.

Tangi was born on Aitutaki in 1943. At 14 years of age she was shipped off to New Zealand (like many Cook Island girls) to work with a Kiwi family doing jobs such as: gathering the eggs, looking after the children (in this case from 1 year to 12 years of age), preparing meals for the family. It was here the lady of the house taught her to crochet. After one year she chose to leave to work in the hospital.

Over the 47 years Tangi was in New Zealand she married a man from Mauke (Cook Islands) and had 8 children (5 boys and 3 girls). Then, her mum called her to come back to Aitutaki to look after her and the homestead. As the eldest in the family she felt she couldn’t refuse and her husband was extremely happy with this decision. In 1994 Tangi was visiting family on Tahiti where an Aunty taught her to cut and tack her Tivaevae designs.

Tangi has boxes of Tivaevae for her family. It’s a craft she enjoys doing, we are very excited to support her craft.