Tiare 'Apetahi ('Apetahi Flower)
Made by Christina Viriamu
Tubuai, Austral Islands, French Polynesia
c. 2011
Cotton; hand appliquéd and reverse appliquéd
Joyce D. Hammond Collection, IQM 2021.046.0009

"Tīfaifai" is the name for cotton appliquéd textiles made in French Polynesia, a group of islands in the South Pacific. They are closely related to "tīvaevae" from the Cook Islands and "kapa lau" from the Hawaiian Islands. All of these traditions focus on large-scale fabric motifs cut into symmetrical designs, often inspired by local plant life. The unquilted spreads are generally composed of two colors, one of which is often white. In this case, the Tiare 'Apetahi ('Apetahi flower) was cut out of a white fabric that was then appliquéd onto a burgundy background and enclosed with a scalloped border. The Tiare 'Apetahi design represents the distinctive five-petalled white flowers that grow only on Mount Temehani on the island of Ra'iātea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. The beautiful and fragrant flowers are associated with a legend about two lovers who were separated; the woman who remained behind on the island died of sorrow and the five fingers of her hand transformed into the distinctive flower. This textile is part of the Joyce D. Hammond Collection. Dr. Hammond, who performed research on French Polynesian quilts for decades, donated her collection to the International Quilt Museum in 2021.