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Polynesian Samoan Tongan, Hawaiian Islands

Tapa (bark cloth) fragment, 1800s

Description

Maker

Culture

Polynesian

Title

Tapa (bark cloth) fragment

Year

1800s

Medium

Paper mulberry (Broussonetia Papyrifera), pigment; processed inner tree bark

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Dimensions

39.4 x 16.5 cm (15 x 6 1/2 inches)

Place

Hawaiian Islands

Type

Credit

Gift of Brown University

Object Number

22.065

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Cloth Without Weaving

November 1, 2000 - February 18, 2001

The hand-painted comb design on this cut fragment demonstrates a high level of skill in the manipulation of detailed motifs. The dark, resinous pattern of the borders is most likely the result of a combination of paint and charcoal. Extra shine could be obtained with the glaze derived from the toga plant.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Tapa (bark cloth) fragment with the accession number of 22.065. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.