Unknown Maker, Samoan

The surface design of this barkcloth was applied using a combination of techniques. The light­brown pattern was applied by rubbing the white tapa surface over a carved pattern board with a pad of old tapa dipped in dye. The design was transferred to the tapa wherever the barkcloth was in contact with the carved pattern board. Freehand painting with a darker dye was then used to highlight selected areas of the rubbed design. The technique, color scheme, and motifs of this piece indicate Samoan manufacture. Since the 1970s, sheets of barkcloth this size decorated with pattern boards have become the main type of tapa produced in Western Samoa for domestic use as well as for sale to tourists.