Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 1997-0002-0001   CAS 1997-0002-0001; Tapa cloth
Category Textiles
Object Name Tapa cloth
Culture Polynesian: Tongan
Global Region Oceania
Country Tonga
State/Prov./Dist.
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1992
Collection Name N/A
Materials Mulberry bark; Vegetal dyes
Description Extremely large rectangular tapa cloth made from numerous overlapping sheets of tapa; Wide border of rectangular blocks frames 3 edges of cloth, each block painted with large X-motif and alternate blocks along long sides marked with measurements "2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 20, 22, and 24"; Central field of cloth is divided into 68 rectangular blocks, alternately decorated with butterfly motif or column of 3 diamond shapes; Vine motif extends down center of cloth.
Dimensions (cm) Width = 113.2, Length = 400.0