Skip to main content
Object Number
94-10-70/48374
Display Title
Kapa
Descriptions
Object Description
Kapa or barkcloth dress.
The object is a medium weight, dense, off-white cloth made of inner bark fibers beaten into a single sheet. The fibers are uniformily pounded having quadrangular beater (water) marks, indicative of those produced in Hawaii. The cloth is folded in half and cut as if a garment was in preparation. At the central fold edge is a cut-out semi-circle (width of opening at the fold edge 28 cm x 16cm). Most of the outer edges have finshed cut edges with the lower area having a large curved shape. There are several small areas at the widest points that retain their original pound edge finish.
Identifying numbers:
Two Peabody Museum catalogue numbers have been applied to the outer lower edge of the cloth.
Inventory Description
Tapa shirt?, buff, hole cut at center of fold, stained, wrinkled
Classification
- Shirt
Department
Ethnographic
Culture
- Hawaiian
Geography/Provenience/Site Name
Oceania
/
United States
/
Hawaii
/
Hawaii County
Materials
Tapa, Beaten inner bark fiber
Dimensions
Overall: 132 x 180 cm (51 15/16 x 70 7/8 in.)
Quantity
1
Label on object
48374
Provenance
Collector
Rev. Diamond
Seller
John P. Sims
(1894)
Important Note about Historical Language
Collections records may contain language, reflecting past collecting practices and methods of analysis, that is no longer acceptable. The Peabody Museum is committed to addressing the problem of offensive and discriminatory language present in its database. Our museum staff are continually updating these records, adding to and improving content. We welcome your feedback and any questions or concerns you may want to share. Please email us with your comments.
PrimaryMedia | Object Number | Title | Classification | Geography/Provenience | SHARE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71-8-70/2899 | Small kapa cloth sample |
Tapa
|
Hawaii
| |
| 94-10-70/48375 | Kapa |
Tapa
|
Hawaii County
| |
| 85-7-70/37613 | Small kapa fragment |
Tapa
|
Honolulu County
| |
| 99-15-70/53889.3 | Tapa in the process of manufacture |
Tapa
|
Samoa
| |
| 99-15-70/53889.4 | Lau'a, tapa in process of manufacture |
Tapa
|
Samoa
| |
| 85-7-70/37624 | Tapa |
Tapa
|
Honolulu County
| |
| 99-15-70/53889.1 | Lau'a, tapa in process of manufacture |
Tapa
|
Samoa
| |
| 77-37-70/11692 | Tapa cloth |
Tapa
|
Pitcairn Island
| |
| 80-24-70/23087.2 | Tapa |
Tapa
|
Hawaii
| |
| 14-23-70/85657 | Tapa cloth |
Tapa
|
Samoa
| |
Image Not Available
for Smoke-toned tapa
| 36-45-70/337.2 | Smoke-toned tapa | |||
| 44-20-70/2266 | Round piece of tapa cloth |
Tapa
|
Samoa
|