She said it was quite old when she gave it to me. I believe tapa cloth is made from fibers under the bark of local trees. The dye for stenciling is made from local plants or roots. Thanks, Dennis Click here for the appraisal. The designs, which are reminiscent of tattoos, are stenciled with vegetable dyes along with charcoal impart island enchantments.
Aesthetic forms are the outward visible expressions of ancient traditions.
Revived in the 1970s, this art was nearly extinct in Hawaii. Hawaiian antiques, such as those in the Bishop Museum of Honolulu, are extremely rare, as tropical conditions cause rapid decay. Without knowing the exact history or provenance of this item, I would estimate that it is most likely of post-1970s origin.