Catalog Number
|
Catalog Number |
CAS 0423-0107 | |
| 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. 1950s | |
| Collection Name | N/A | |
| Materials | Mulberry bark; Native dyes | |
| Description | Large rectangular tapa cloth, made from strips of mulberry bark which have been beaten to thin sheets and overlapped to form a larger cloth, then painted overall with designs and cut into smaller pieces such as this example; Cloth is divided into 4 parallel vertical panels with various designs repeated on each panel but arranged in a single band across all four panels Beginning along one edge is a plain band that is undecorated except for the numbers "8" and "10" in two of the bands, indicating measurements of the original larger cloth; The next motif is a dove, carrying a pair of leaves in its beak, followed by band of alternating light and dark brown triangles (an ancient chiefly motif also known as the "vane swastika"), then a group of 3 swords (representing the battles fought to unite the islands of the Tongan Kingdom), next the "Royal Crown of Tonga", and finally small groups of stars and a banner reading "KOE KALAUNI" (referring to the royal crown or kalauni). | |
| Dimensions (cm) | Width = ca. 194.0, Length = ca. 204.0 | |