Bark Cloth
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Collector
content: Lt. Augustus L. Case
label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: SINGLE SHEET OF MUSTARD YELLOW OILED BARK CLOTH WITH BORDER DECORATED WITH PARALLEL LINES IN RED WITH DIAMOND SHAPES IN BLACK. THE MAIN PART OF THE TAPA IS PLAIN WITH A FEW LARGE DIAMOND SHAPED FIGURES IN BLACK AND RED. HAS ORIGINAL PEALE TAG; ALSO A TAG READS, "A. LUDLOW CASE, NO. 35, VINCENS EXPD.". OLD 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY EXHIBIT LABEL WITH ARTIFACT READS,"TAPA CLOTH, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, WILKES EXPLORING EXPEDITION 3525".
label: Notes
content: Per Erhardt, W. D. and N. Firnhaber. "Analysis and Identification of Oils in Hawaiian Oiled Tapa." In Recent Advances in the Conservation and Analysis of Artifacts. Ed: James Black, London: University of London, Summer School Press, 1987, pp. 223 - 227, the oils on this tapa were probably a mixture of coconut and kukui nut oils, although other combinations are possible.
label: Notes
content: Tapa has a unique paper-like quality. It has the appearance of a single flat sheet, uniform in texture throughout. Uniformly thin with a running longitudinal beater mark of parallel but uneven lines about 1/8" apart. No evidence of tapa joining. It is overall a yellow brown color with repeated red and black diamond shapes, each diamond composed of eight red or black herringbone designs, running parallel to each other. These designs have the appearance of having been produced by bamboo stamping. There is a border on each end. One has a design of red stripes with black dots inside the lines; the other has parallel lines with cross hatching in between, also in red and black. Fragile and brittle condition.
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: E3525-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Barkcloth
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 274 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 108 cm