model vaka series for museum
'made from traditional materials'
When a contract for the creation of scale models of early pacific sailing vakas for Te Papa tangata o le moana exhibition we jumped at the chance. It utilised our model making skills and our ability to accurately fabricate scale replica objects in three dimensions to the level of detail required for close scrutiny. It also drew on our knowledge of sailing and the passion for the ocean.
We won the contract to create a Tipairua from the Society Islands, which is four meters long and is a quarter scale of the original. A Pahi from the Tuamotu archipelago, a Tou’ua of the Marquesas islands, and a Wa’a Kaulua of Hawaii which are all 500-700mm long 1/35 scale.
An exciting aspect of this job was the 4m Tipairua that was being incorporated into a peppers ghost display. Projected onto a glass screen to the side of the vessel a story unfolds before you telling you the story of what life was like on board when travelling in the open ocean on one of these early sailing voyages.
We undertook an extensive research phase in consultation with Sean Mellon senior curator of pacific cultures at te papa with result being a series of scale marquettes and touch samples being produced for approval to then further proceed.
All the vakas remain true to the original designs and the materials used to construct them. We used a mix of traditional methods along with more modern fabrication techniques and materials.
Wood was used extensively on all vakas, it was shaped formed and applied in different ways depending on where and on what vessel. Paint and aging techniques where used to varying degrees in achieving the final appearance of a sea faring voyages in the Pacific Ocean.
The sails are all made of pandanas fibre and the rigging we used senet which is a coconut fibre. They are the traditional materials and are readily available in the pacific islands.
We enlisted the help of a weaving expert from Niue, who, with her skill was able to accurately weave the sails in the right scale needed for these models. Each Vaka has a hut or shelter of some sort on the deck and the technique of thatching with pandana fibres over a wooden frame was used.
The Tipirua needed to have small scale food that they would have had on the voyage. Small scale coconuts and gourds were sculpted then cast and put in baskets that had been woven in miniature.
Another big job for Izzat and one that helps to give people more of an understanding about early pacific sailing vakas.