tivaevae
/tiːˈvʌɪvʌɪ/noun
1 (plural same) (Especially in the Cook Islands) a patchwork quilt sewn communally: it can take from one week to two years to complete a tivaevae, depending on the intricacy of the design the governor general and her delegation sat amidst a spread of mats and tivaevae...
- It will be good for showcasing Cook Islands tivaevae.
- For Cook Islanders, it is accepted practice to travel with tropical food stuff, island brooms, mats, and appliqué quilts (tivaevae).
- The tivaevae is something precious, and older pieces should be kept in a museum and not hidden away.
1.1 [mass noun] The art or practice of communally making patchwork quilts: the islands are known for a textile art called tivaevae...
- I joined the Cook Island women's sewing group to learn the traditional art form of tivaevae.
- They meet together to create tivaevae, a unique form of sewing similar to appliqué but with a very Pacific flavour—floral and colourful.
- Tivaevae is used to decorate bedspreads and cushion covers.
Origin
Polynesian.