THE MAKING OF THE KATO ALU - A TRADITIONAL TONGAN BASKET

We investigated the weaving of the kato alu, a traditional Tongan bask et. Unlike most ordinary baskets which are woven from coconut or panda nus leaves, kato alu are woven from tuaniu (Cocos nucifera, Palmae, mi drib of leaf) and alu [Epipremnum pinnatum, Araceae, aerial roots]. An ciently the common people wove and decorated the kato alu and gave the m to chiefs, nobles and kings as gifts at wedding and funeral ceremoni es. Today, however, the weaving techniques are known to only a few peo ple. It appears that these techniques will likely disappear from Tonga within a generation.