Not currently on display at the V&A

Tapa Cloth

1800s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Tapa cloths are native to the indigenous peoples of the South Pacific and have a wide variety of uses, both symbolic and functional. Tapa is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree, Broussonetia papyrifera, and is traditionally produced by women involving a labour-intensive process. The first step is to strip the bark from the tree and immerse it in water, where it will soak from between several hours to a month, enabling the bark to be divested of its outer and much darker layer. The inner bark is then stretched out and beaten with clubs until the fibres soften and loosen, creating a uniform, flattened surface. Pieces are then joined together either with adhesive, or more traditionally, by melding the plant fibres together and beating them. The enlarged sheet of tapa will then be laid out in the sun, where it will be bleached as it dries. The final decoration will vary according to where the tapa is made: Fiji, Tonga and Samoa all have their own distinctive patterns. One of the great virtues of tapa is its versatility and any number of effects can be achieved though stamping, painting, stencilling, printing, staining and smoking.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Block-printed and beaten bark cloth
Brief description
Tapa cloth, block printed, 1800s, Fiji.
Physical description
Tapa cloth, made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree, block-printed.
Dimensions
  • Length: 196.75in
  • Width: 31.5in
Credit line
Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh
Object history
Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh (1876-1956), a generous donor to the museum. Hildburgh was widely recieved as an expert in the field of amulets and in 1952 was awarded the Coote Lake Medal for Folklore Research by the Folklore Society.
Summary
Tapa cloths are native to the indigenous peoples of the South Pacific and have a wide variety of uses, both symbolic and functional. Tapa is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree, Broussonetia papyrifera, and is traditionally produced by women involving a labour-intensive process. The first step is to strip the bark from the tree and immerse it in water, where it will soak from between several hours to a month, enabling the bark to be divested of its outer and much darker layer. The inner bark is then stretched out and beaten with clubs until the fibres soften and loosen, creating a uniform, flattened surface. Pieces are then joined together either with adhesive, or more traditionally, by melding the plant fibres together and beating them. The enlarged sheet of tapa will then be laid out in the sun, where it will be bleached as it dries. The final decoration will vary according to where the tapa is made: Fiji, Tonga and Samoa all have their own distinctive patterns. One of the great virtues of tapa is its versatility and any number of effects can be achieved though stamping, painting, stencilling, printing, staining and smoking.
Collection
Accession number
T.20-1917

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Record createdMarch 16, 2007
Record URL
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