Tivaevae tataura (appliqué embroidered quilt) . Te PapaThe exhibition Tīvaevae: Out of the glory box (on at Te Papa until October 2015) celebrates the art of Cook Islands quilting through Te Papa’s remarkable collection. Each tīvaevae carries the stories and skills of the women who made them, and reflects the vibrant cultural life of the Cook Islands.
To celebrate the exhibition, and the special place that textiles plays in so many people’s lives, Te Papa is gathering images of hand-made textiles via social media. We would love members of the CTANZ to participate. Your treasure doesn’t have to be a tivaevae – indeed Anna Miles recently uploaded an image of a rather special bikini, but anything textiley and handmade.
To share your treasured textile take a photo and upload it to your Twitter or Instagram account with the hash tags #tivaevae or #textiletreasures. Your post will appear live on screen in the exhibition and on the Ngā Toi Arts Te papa website.
To learn more about the making and meaning of tivaevae you can read Yvonne Underhill-Sem and June Underhill’s essay Cuppa Tea for the Mama’s or listen to an audio with Nina Tonga, the curator of the show.