By this he means that the characteristic patterns of this type of construction and design have become a general model for decoration in Tonga. 
In other words, the patterns of lashing have spread to areas of decoration where nothing is physically joined or held together.
To Filipe, lalava is key to the understanding of the characteristic patterns that recur in Polynesian woodcarving and bark cloth printing. Rather than emphasizing artistic creativity, Filipe views himself as an heir to a traditional master craftsman (tufunga) who brings traditional forms in tune with the present.
