Savu is known for
its woven textiles that can take
months to produce. Weaving is a
social affair and several women,
especially those living in
villages, can still be found
weaving on the back verandah of
their houses. It is an
inseparable part of the Savunese
culture and tradition.
Hubi Ae and Hubi
Iki
The
translation of the term
"hubi" by Western
researchers as “flower
stalk” is incorrect. Stalk
is different to spadix. Hubi
means spadix not
flower stalk. The terms
"ae" and
"iki" have also been
misinterpreted by foreigners. Ae
means "big" not
greater. Iki means
"small" not
lesser.
There
exist no such thing as noble and
common fabric in Savunese
textiles as Western researchers
have time and again claimed. The
distinction is between two matriarchal
lines, which have no
association with status, despite
being called hubi ae
(big spadix) and hubi iki
(small spadix). A commoner can
belong to the hubi ae
while a noble can belong to
hubi iki. Textiles have no
association with nobility. The
confusion stems from Western
researchers, who have
misinterpreted the Savunese
terms, which do not carry the
sense of opposition resulting
from the comparative inflection:
-er. It is just “big”
and “small” spadix.
Otherwise it would be hubi
rihi iki (lesser spadix) and
hubi rihi ae (greater
spadix). It is just hubi iki
and hubi ae. So, it is
more of an attributive form of
adjective than a comparative or
superlative.
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The Process
The original blue ink is
extracted from the indigofera tinctoria known as a
native plant of India or
rau dao in Savunese which is harvested
yearly, due to the seasonal rain pattern. The
yellow ink comes from extacted tumeric root as
well as from another particular root. The beetle fruit/leaf and areca
nut mixed with lime (calcium made of coral reef)
which produced dark like red or almost brown red
like colour while the tree bark called Lub’a
(Savunese) can be extacted to produce red ink. The
tulip pattern reveals the influence of the Dutch.
The process involves tightening the yarn into
bundles with a particular type of dry grass or a
certain kind of pandanus (plant) leaves. Then
they are dipped into the dye. If certain parts
need extra color, the bundles are untied. The
parts to be left uncolored are tied-up again. So,
it continues until the colors are perfect.
Copyright © 2006 Ina
Tali/Francesca Von Reinhaart
© Raijua.com
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