Catalog Number
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 1989-0005-0001 | |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Tapa cloth | |
| Culture | Polynesian: Samoan | |
| Global Region | Oceania | |
| Country | Samoa | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | ||
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 1920s-1930s | |
| Collection Name | N/A | |
| Materials | Paper mulberry bark; Native dyes (derived from 'o'a [Bischofia javanica] sap mixed with charcoal or from lama [candlenut tree, Aleurites moluccana] kernels) | |
| Description | Round tapa cloth made from strips of mulberry bark that have been beaten into thin sheets which were then overlapped to form a larger cloth; Design field is divided into a series of concentric bands, painted with series of diamonds, plant motifs, triangles, and zigzag lines; Central design is a stylized floral motif; All designs have been drawn freehand, first in a brown dye and then over-painted in a darker brown dye with a glossy sheen; Cloth has been completely cut around perimeter to obtain its final shape. | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Max Diam = 107.5 | |