Malama Wao Akua 2009
- Title
- Palapalai and Moa
- Artist
- Claudia Coonen
- Media
- Woodblock Leaf Mono Print
- Price
- $425 (sold)
Palapalai is a very important lace fern used to decorate alters where hula was taught. It symbolized Hi'iaka, patron of all hula dancers. A red brown dye was prepared from the stem.
Moa is a fern ally found growing from lava rocks and tree stumps, and resembles the foot of a Moa or chicken. The spores were used as a powder for baby diapers. These prints were taken from actual plants collected with Martha Vockrodt at Pu’u Mahoe.