Tapa Or 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: Peale catalogue identifies # 1435 - 1456 as "Ngatu." Bark cloth prepared for curtains by the natives of the Fiji Islands."
label: Notes
content: Nearly square in shape. According to Adrienne Kaeppler, Curator of Oceania Ethnology, the border designs are typically Fijian and central design is Tongan. The conmbination would reflect a tapa from the Lau Islands, centrally located between Fiji and Tonga. Per Dr. Kaeppler, this piece would be used for funerals, and presentations at weddings. Quite thin overall and seems to be made in one layer, except where joined. Five 17" wide strips have been adhered together with overlapping sides. 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).
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: E3271-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Barkcloth
physicalDescription: label: Length - Object
content: 236 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 234 cm