Traditional forms
Women play an important role in contributing their skills in items of high cultural value, such as 'ie toga, finely woven mats used in ceremony and gift exchanges. In terms of material goods, women give fine mats 'ie toga and decorated bark cloth siapo during ritual exchange, while men give woodworking items and red feathers. Wooden figurative sculpture was extremely rare in pre-Christian Samoa, and it shares some similarities with Fijian and Tongan sculpture.
Bark cloth, also known as siapo in Samoa, is made from beaten mulberry bark. Patterns or images are painted on with a natural brown dye derived from a tree. Abstract and realistic depictions of plant life, shells, fish, turtles, and hibiscus flowers are common in these images. The siapo can be used for clothing, wrapping objects, or simply for decoration. Natural materials such as seashells, coconut, and coir are used to make ornaments, jewelry, and hair accessories. Traditional Samoan medicine is frequently used as a first-line treatment before hospital medicine. This is a type of alternative medicine that involves massaging the affected area with plant leaves. This can be seen as one of the Unique Cultural Characteristics In Samoa that you should know.