Bark Cloth
date: label: Accession Date
content: 18 Oct 1991
label: Collection Date
content: 1899
name: label: Collector
content: Dr. C. H. Townsend
label: Donor Name
content: Charleston Museum
notes: label: Notes
content: BLACK AND BROWN PRINTED GEOMETRIC DESIGN ON WHITE BACKGROUND. VERTICAL BANDS DOWN BOTH EDGES. THREE HORIZONTAL BANDS FROM ONE END TOWARD CENTER. CENTER BAND SEPARATING DIAGONAL BANDS OF SMALL FIGURES. FRINGED EDGES.
label: Notes
content: The bark cloth (masi) appears to have been cut from a larger piece as two of the short sides appear scissor cut. It is finely stencilled with patterns in black and brown. Deep brown colored clay or "qele", that is grated and mixed with coconut oil is used to make a brown dye. Motifs include half diamond patterns caleld vasua along the border and inside of the motifs. Steel digging fork (3) and (4) mahi printing motifs. In the Southern part of Lau the name is "like a comb" noting the resemblance to Fijian long-toothed combs. This bark cloth is usually referred to as tapa kesa or printed masi. "Draudrau is the dialect term in Mamuka, Lau for the straight-lined stencilled patterns that are not flowers. Diamond shapes from a tree fruit (nuts) are used as the border design of the bark cloth. The nuts are cut in half and the patterns inside are used as motifs. Fringe on two sides. When examining this barkcloth it is thought that before the bark cloth was cut it seems that it was a long lengthwise bark cloth which was used as carpet during a wedding ceremony or an installation of a chief to walk on. Masi are usually worn in weddings, installation of chiefs, birthdays, funerals and decorations etc..
label: Record Last Modified
content: 2 Jul 2015
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Viti Levu Island, Fiji, Melanesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Fijian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 390861
label: USNM Number
content: E427356-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Barkcloth
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 111 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 84.5 cm