Tanna traditional Kitkit baskets featured in Vanuatu Made Trade Show
September 30, 2026 10:43 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Vourie Molivakoro.
Traditional handicrafts from TAFEA Province were showcased at the two-day Vanuatu Made Trade Show in Port Vila this week, including Tanna’s island basket known as the Kitkit.
The Kitkit is known for its distinctive weaving technique and design.
It is displayed alongside the Nemah, a tapa cloth from Erromango, as part of the TAFEA Creative Industry and Cultural Market Hub.
The hub has brought together arts and crafts from Tanna, Erromango, Aniwa, Futuna and Aneityum.
Ericka Mabon, a mother from Pentecost who is married to a Tannese and manages the TAFEA Creative Industry and Cultural Market Hub, said many baskets woven today follow PENAMA-style weaving from Pentecost, Ambae and Maewo.
She said it was important for people to recognise and preserve the different weaving traditions found across Vanuatu.
Since the Kitkit was first displayed at the previous Vanuatu Made Trade Show, Mabon said mothers have started learning and practising the weaving technique again.
She said preserving the Kitkit was also important for younger generations to understand their cultural roots.
“Seeing it displayed tells people that Tanna also has its own traditional way of weaving,” she said.
The Nemah, originally from Erromango, is a custom cloth made from the bark and roots of the banyan tree.
According to traditional stories from Unpang (Unpongkor) in South Erromango, the Nemah is connected to a story about a turtle and fish that emerged from a hole and used material made from roasted banyan roots, which were pounded and worked into intricate patterns.
Erromango artist Peter Lovo said the Nemah and Ortovi, a tapa basket from the Unpang area of South Erromango, were important cultural symbols.
He said it was good to see them displayed as a source of pride for Erromango and TAFEA Province, while stressing the importance of preserving the traditions behind them.
The TAFEA booth also features Futuna’s traditional basket, along with hats, carvings and other locally made handicrafts.
The display aims to preserve TAFEA’s cultural heritage while giving local artisans an opportunity to promote their products and attract potential buyers at the trade show.
