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Object Number 34-137-70/299
Display Title Piece of tapa cloth
Descriptions
Object Description Piece of tapa cloth known as ngatu, cut from a much larger cloth. Decorated by rubbing over kupesi with additional freehand overpainting with eight langanga featured. Moderately thick, somewhat coarsely pounded cloth composed of two-three layers of off-white inner bark with rubbed-over relief and hand-painted design patterns. Each cloth layer is comprised of individual pieces joined by overlapping, either by beating or pasting; the fiber grains of the top painted layer is perpendicular to the bottom layer. Three of the four edges are cut; a white undecorated border (tapa) on one side edge retains its original finishing edge. The design consists of a reddish-brown rubbed over relief pattern accented by handpainted thick dark brown-black lines and horizontally arranged triangles having a leaf motif. There is no noticable beater pattern.
Inventory Description Tapa, brown with linear and geometric designs, white band one side
Classification
  • Tapa
Department Ethnographic
Culture
  • Tonga
Geography/Provenience/Site Name
Oceania / Tonga / <State> / Niaufo'ou (Tin Can Island)
Dimensions Overall: 246 x 210 cm (96 7/8 x 82 11/16 in.)
Quantity 1
Provenance
Collector Weld Arnold (1931 - October 24, 1934)
Donor Weld Arnold (1931 - October 24, 1934)

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