Santa Cruz Mat

The Santa Cruz Group consists of a small number of islands including Ndende, the central and largest island. Ndende is one of the few areas in the pacific where both weaving and tapa manufacture were practiced. Mats and loincloths made on a back loom were woven from tree bast. These were decorated at intervals with bands of patterns made with black fiber obtained by stripping the stems of a species of wild bananas. This mat was obtained by missionaries around 1870.