Bark Cloth
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Collector
content: Lt. Robert E. Johnson
label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: LONG, PLAIN, WHITE BARK CLOTH WHICH IS FRINGED ALONG THE EDGES. AT ONE END, PART HAS COME AWAY FROM THE SEAM AND THE TAPA IS ONLY A LAYER THICK AND VERY FRAGILE. HAS ORIGINAL PEALE TAG. EXAMINED AND SAMPLED BY KENNETH P.EMORY, BISHOP MUSEUM, JUNE 1941.
label: Notes
content: FROM CARD 2972-76: "CAT. 2976, ORIG. 1054. TAPA BELT. 22" X 30' SAMOA. FINE WHITE TAPA, NO DESIGN. FRINGED ALONG LONG EDGES. (ALL ADDITIONAL INFORMATION GIVEN BY K.P. EMORY, 6/24/41)."
label: Notes
content: Long, narrow undecorated bark cloth made in one layer that is rectangular in shape with straight edges and is of relatively uniform width along its length. It is of fairly uniform thickness throughout. It is made by piecing together four different sections (each averaging about 6 feet in length) attached to each other by means of arrowroot (per Adrienne Kaeppler, Curator for Oceania Ethnology). There are long elaborate fringes on both of the short ends that appear very lace-like. There are additional regularly spaced fringes along both long sides made by cutting the edge of the bark cloth into a strip and splitting that strip into two smaller strips. There are no beater marks or embellishments. According to Adrienne Kaeppler, this bark cloth would remain undecorated and used as clothing as is. It would be wrapped around the upper body, then between the legs and drawn up in the back and the remainder would hang down in the back.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 31 Jul 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: 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: 66A00050
label: USNM Number
content: E2976-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Barkcloth
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 778 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 58 cm
label: Length - Object, Including Fringes
content: 805 cm
label: Width - Object, Not Including Fringes
content: 61 cm