Bark Cloth
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Collector
content: Dr. Silas Holmes
label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: VERY BRITTLE PIECE OF DARK BROWN "MAMAKI" BARK CLOTH WITH DARKER BROWN OR BLACK STRIPED DECORATION. IT ALSO HAS A VERY FINE PARALLEL LINED WATERMARK. A DETACHED TAG READS, "SANDWICH ISLANDS BY MR. HOLMES, EX. EX. B[OX]. 31".
label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "3600-10. CAT. 3609. ORIG. ? TAPA, SHEET. HAWAII. VERY SMALL SAMPLE TAKEN BY K.P. EMORY, 6/24/41."
label: Notes
content: Tapa was initially examined in a folded configuration measuring 28 x 61 cm. Tapa is made of a very thin cellulosic material. Tapa is traditionally identified in the collection as "mamaki" tapa based on its physical characteristics, brown color, and extremely fine parallel beater marks and poor condition. Adrienne Kaeppler, Curator for Oceania Ethnology, notes that these characteristics are the identifiers she was taught while working at the Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii. Once opened and examined, the designation of "mamaki" can be more questionable. The fibers, although heavily beaten and damaged, appear to have been quite long, which is also consistent for "wauke" (paper mulberry). The overall background light brown color on the tapa could have been decoratively applied and is not necessarily the inherent color of the fibers. As for this tapa and other similar ones identified by appearance as "mamaki" (e.g. E3531), the species of plant fibers used in the fabrication remains a question. Regular beater marks can be observed. They form very fine parallel lines, and when observed closely, there are cross-section patterns that are even finer (main parallel lines are 1.5 mm wide). Tapa is an overall light brown with darker brown applied parallel lines. The dark brown color is divided in two patterns: - 16 (sometimes 15) thin parallel lines running lengthwise, each of more or less 2 mm width. - Then one thick line running lengthwise of 25-30 mm width. - Then a non-painted area of 25 mm width. - And the pattern starts again, always running lengthwise. The colored lines seem to have been applied by hand with a tool resembling a brush. A thick dark brown line presents two thinner outer lines, and is then colored inside. Anthropology Conservation Lab treatment file contains the results of the testing this tapa for iron content, which was high.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 31 Jul 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Hawaii (Hawaiʻi), United States, Polynesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Hawaiian (Kanaka ʻŌiwi, Kanaka Maoli)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 66A00050
label: USNM Number
content: E3609-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Barkcloth
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 184 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 246 cm
label: Height - Object
content: 0.2 cm