Catalog Number
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 1991-0011-0016 | |
| Category | Textiles | |
| Object Name | Tapa cloth | |
| Culture | Polynesian: Tongan | |
| Global Region | Oceania | |
| Country | Tonga | |
| State/Prov./Dist. | unknown | |
| County | ||
| Other Geographic Data | unknown | |
| Maker's Name | Unknown | |
| Date of Manufacture | ca. 1970s | |
| Collection Name | N/A | |
| Materials | Mulberry bark; Dyes | |
| Description | Rectangular piece of tapa cloth cut from a much larger piece, made by beating strips of paper mulberry bark to paper thin sheets, and overlapping them until the desired width and length was achieved; This piece measures four langanga (hand-measured unit) in length, as indicated by the numbers along its outer borders, and could have been part of a 50 langanga cloth; Overall cloth is divided into rectangular panels of different sizes that extend across the entire cloth in columns and rows; Smaller panels along outer borders are decorated with alternating images of a star with crescent moon and that of a braided fiber lei, with the even-numbered panels also marked with their measurement (e.g., 2, 4, etc.); Remaining width of the cloth is divided into 5 columns of panels (3 smaller panels and 2 wide panels); Each panel in the column adjacent to the border is decorated with the royal seal of Tonga which is rendered rather haphazardly with little attention to complete details; Panels in next column are wide with alternate rows showing a tokelau feletoa design (a chiefly symbol of an elongated lozenge shape) or an series of small contiguous squares topped with row of triangles (symbolism unknown); Small panels in center column are decorated with triangular structure (possibly representing a house) with a rising and/or setting crescent sun on either side; Background of all panels is partially painted brown, with traces of string, indicating that cloth was tied to a working board and secured with sennit fibers as it was being made. | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = 176.0, Length = 392.0 | |