Koloa
Koloa Barkcloth necklace - Fele
These beautiful Koloa "Fele" half moon shaped necklaces are made by hand. They are unique and showcase the skill of Pacific artisans.
These contain ngatu, which is painted Tongan barkcloth - and any imperfections are part of the natural handmade process and add to the uniqueness of these treasures.
Choose between the "simple" version which is cream coloured ngatu, or the "painted" version which uses ngatu that has patterns.
Note that the necklace you receive may not be the exact one pictured, but will be as close as possible.
Koloa is the Tongan word for 'treasure'. It encompasses aspects of Tongan art that play an important role in Tongan society, such as ngatu (mulberry cloth), known as tapa elsewhere in the Pacific - and fala (fine, woven mats).
Ngatu and fala are exchanged at significant events including weddings, births and deaths. They are handmade by women and decorated with patterns and symbols. The design always tells a story about their origin and linkage to a specific time or place. An extremely time intensive process, each ngatu or fala represents the work of many women over many months.
Koloa believe they are helping to preserve these incredible pieces of art so that another generation can enjoy, value and share them, not only the people of Tonga, but all people of the Pacific.
The resin piece is 3 cm long and 5cm wide at its widest point. The chain is gold plated stainless steel and approx 55cm long end to end. All parts are hypoallergenic.
These items are handmade in New Zealand
