Bark Cloth
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1858
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Donor Name
content: United States Exploring Expedition
notes: label: Notes
content: LARGE BARK CLOTH WITH BROWN RUBBED ON DESIGN FROM A "UPETI" DESIGN BOARD, AND BORDERED ON TWO SIDES BY BLACK STENCILLED DESIGNS. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN USED AS A MOSQUITO CURTAIN, BUT THE SIDES ARE NOT SEWN, AND ON ONE SIDE OF FRINGE ARE FEATURES NOT SEEN IN THE OTHER EXAMPLES. HAS ORIGINAL PEALE TAG; ALSO A TAG SEWN TO INSIDE READS, "ONE MOSQUITOE CURTAIN PRESENTED BY THE TAHITIAN MISSIONARIES AT ONEATA FEEJEES-CR". EXAMINED AND SAMPLED BY KENNETH P. EMORY, BISHOP MUSEUM, JUNE 1941.
label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "THIS INFORMATION GIVEN BY K. P. EMORY, BISHOP MUSEUM, 6/24/41: ONEATA IS. WHITE TAPA WITH BROWN, KUPETI DESIGN EXCEPT FOR BLACK BORDER AT EACH END. ORIGINAL LABEL SEWED ON, OLD INK: "ONE MOSQUITOE CURTAIN PRESENTED BY THE TAHITIAN MISSIONARY AT ONEATA, FEGEES, C.R." 5" WIDE, AT EACH END. 13" BLACK DESIGN BORDER AT EACH END. IN PEALE'S CAT. UNDER 993-1054, "'TAPA' CLOTH MADE OF BARK, AND USED FOR DRESSES AND CURTAINS BY THE NATIVES OF THE SAMOAN ISLANDS." VERY SMALL SAMPLE TAKEN BY K.P. EMORY, 6/24/41."
label: Notes
content: Tapa is nearly square in shape. Front has applied designs that cover the surface. The center has repeating designs of triangle in a diagonal pattern on a field of banding all in lines and dashes in the same light orange brown. The borders are black linear bands with "X" patterns and lines and dashes. According to Adrienne Kaeppler, Curator for Oceania Ethnology, the stenciled border designs are typically Fijian and central design is Tongan. This combination would reflect a tapa from the Lau Islands, centrally located between Fiji and Tonga. Tapa is noted as from Oneata Island in the catalogue. Catalogue also has notations from K. P. Emory of the Bishop Museum, 6-24-1941. He notes that the tapa is from the Lau Isalnds, Oneata and the central design of brown on white tapa is a Kupeti design. Tapa has a 13 inch decorated border and one of the borders has a fringed edge cut at a diagonal. This piece is noted as a "mosquitoe curtain" on a tag stitched to it. The use as a hanging is supported by the gathered tapa at the corners of the unfringed side as well as a lack of a fringe on the same edge. It is quite thin overall and seems to be made in one layer, except where joined. Approximately 16 square pieces, each about 33 x 25 inches, make up the tapa. The strips are adhered by splitting one edge and sandwiching the edge of the adjacent piece into it. Presumably the pieces are adhered together with arrowroot (per Adrienne Kaeppler). This piecing is visible on the back side. There are stencil geometric patterns in rust brown and black on two ends (Fijian design) and a design board used for the central area in rust brown color only (Tongan design). There are small rectangles of plain bark cloth with sharply cut edges adhered to the back. These do not appear to be repairs but may be reinforcements. There is cut fringe along the short sides cut at an angle. The fringe is plain tapa with isolated patches of colorant.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 31 Jul 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Oneata Island, Lau Islands, Fiji, Melanesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Fijian, Lauan
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: E2977-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Barkcloth
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 330 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 312 cm