Tifaifai and Quilts of Polynesia

By Joyce Hammond

Back in print, July 2025
Scholars and lay readers alike will find this beautifully illustrated and well-documented book on the tifaifai and quilts of Polynesia to be a unique contribution to an understanding of a very special Polynesian art form. Influenced by both Western quilt and pre-contact bark cloth traditions, Polynesian tifaifai and quilts constitute a distinctive artistic response to cultural tradition and change. This book explores the history of the piecework and applique textiles of Polynesia, drawing upon historical references and photographs. The relationship between bark cloth traditions and early missionary quilting traditions is examined for an understanding of the origins and development of the textiles. The contemporary styles of the Hawaiian, Society, Cook and Austral Islands are featured through verbal and photographic descriptions and the myriad roles of the textiles in contexts reflecting Polynesians' responses to both tradition and change are thoroughly discussed. Also highlighted is the significance of Polynesian tifaifai and quilts to the women who create and use them as forms of self-expression.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0824809750
• ISBN13: 9780824809751
• Release Date: August 1986
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.4" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Tifaifai and Quilts in Polynesia and Hawaii

Book arrived very quickly in very good condition. The publication is very information-rich. I recommend it highly to others interested in this topic.