Piece Of Tapa
date: label: Accession Date
content: 26 Oct 1874
label: Collection Date
content: 1838 to 1842
name: label: Collector
content: Major William Rich
label: Collector
content: United States Exploring Expedition
label: Donor Name
content: Prof Spencer F. Baird
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "INVENTORIED 1975."
label: Notes
content: This tapa was catalogued as just from Polynesia, but has been attributed as Samoa.
label: Notes
content: This piece is most likely two-ply (two layers) and has been created in what is considered siapo tasiga style (rubbing onto an upeti/design board or tablet). Each layer of the u'a (unpainted barkcloth) is laid to overlap at the seams with the grain running the same direction. When the two layers are joined they are placed perpendicular to one another. It appears to be a complete piece without cut edges, showing fringed edges around all four sides. The size indicates that this may have been used for wear. Based on my experience with Siapo tasiga, the brown dye (O'a) is used for the initial rubbing and then once both layers are adhered, the siapo is enhanced with more dyes used to create designs. The surface has a glossy appearance. The siapo is comprised of dark black-brown fields divided into 5 sections. The designs used include Fa'aaliao (trochus shell), Faaanufe (worm), and Fa'amasina (rolled pandanus). There are some tears and holes along folds, some fringe missing or torn. The loss and abrasion may be from cultural use if the tapa was worn especially with a fusi siapo (belt). Thus the fringe on the long sides which would be at the waist and hem exhibit significantly more wear and loss. Abrasions and cracks along dark grazed areas may also be from cultural use when the siapo was worn. However there are creases and abrasion from folding. There are overall undulations in the surface. The undulations are culturally expected and do not need to be flattened out, especially for this style of siapo. Red pigment is dessicated and is gone from most of the tapa leaving a yellowish pattern.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 31 Jul 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: American Samoa (not certain), Samoa (not certain) / United States (not certain), Polynesia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 74A00057
label: USNM Number
content: E15085-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Barkcloth