{"product_id":"nz-pacifica-cross-with-ancient-tapa-design-made-in-new-zealand","title":"NZ Pacifica Cross with Ancient Tapa Design - Made in New Zealand","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis beautiful Pacifika Cross is made to hang on your wall.  A lovely ornament to reflect your Christian faith, as well as being a beautiful ornament regardless of religion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design incorporates an instantly recognisable modern barkcloth image, called \u003cem\u003emanulua \u003c\/em\u003ein Tonga and Samoa, representing two birds in flight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDid you think it represented the frangipani flower?  That is actually a modern concept that is incorrect but understandable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntriguingly, the design actually comes from the Lapita people of Indonesia, who migrated into Melanesia and Polynesia between 1500-800BCE, bringing pottery with them.  Their stamped pottery motifs were the basis of the manulua design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThousands of years ago, a Lapita design was repeating triangles stamped onto ceramics.  After migrating to Samoa and Tonga, that design was incorporated into designs on Samoan \u003cem\u003esiapo \u003c\/em\u003eand Tongan \u003cem\u003engatu \u003c\/em\u003e(barkcloth), becoming the representation of two birds in flight.  (\u003cem\u003eTapa \u003c\/em\u003eis the name for barkcloth in Tahiti and Cook Islands; \u003cem\u003eMasi\u003c\/em\u003e in Fiji, and \u003cem\u003eAute \u003c\/em\u003ein New Zealand).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs time went on, the edges of the triangles were softened, into a design looking more like a flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd eventually, as art evolved and frangipani were imported into the Islands, the design became used as a decorative frangipani image.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a great example of art evolving, rightly or wrongly of course!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd apologies for digressing so far from the details about this cross, but I thought it important to do my research on the background to the design, and couldn't help but share it. (That's me!  LOL).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis modern day frangipani tapa cross is made in New Zealand, from satin acrylic.  It measures approximately 90mm x 115mm x 6mm (3 1\/2\" x 4 1\/2\" x 1\/4\") and hangs from a string cord.  And it is available in a great variety of colours!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShipped worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ShopNZ","offers":[{"title":"Teal","offer_id":48834719088863,"sku":"CA557-T","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Purple","offer_id":48834719121631,"sku":"CA557-P","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Dark Blue","offer_id":48834719154399,"sku":"CA557-DB","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"White","offer_id":48834719187167,"sku":"CA557-W","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Red","offer_id":48834719219935,"sku":"CA557-R","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Yellow","offer_id":48834719252703,"sku":"CA557-Y","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black","offer_id":48834719285471,"sku":"CA557-BLK","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Orange","offer_id":48834719318239,"sku":"CA557-O","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hot Pink","offer_id":48834719351007,"sku":"CA557-HP","price":17.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0460\/2082\/1157\/files\/nz-pacifica-cross-with-ancient-tapa-design-made-in-new-zealand-5822009.jpg?v=1775752871","url":"https:\/\/www.shopnz.com\/products\/nz-pacifica-cross-with-ancient-tapa-design-made-in-new-zealand","provider":"ShopNZ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}