Skip to main content
Object Number 67-9-70/118
Display Title Decorated kapa fragment
Descriptions
Indigenous Term Tapa or Kapa
Object Description Small rectangular kapa fragment with geometric design. Light to medium weight, dense and opaque cloth; small size, cut edges, fiber grain orientation and the presence of a join suggest that the cloth may be a sample cut from a larger whole; cloth composed of a single layer of bark a starch adhesive/sizing appears to have been used throughout; manufacture related foldlines traverse the cloth cross-grain, all four edges are cut. One side of the cloth is decorated with a checkered pattern created by staggering repeating linear motif, applied in matte red-earth and black bound-pigment colorants by hand with liners. Design is very similar to the one drawn in Kooijman's Tapa in Polynesia, page 166 in Peabody Essex Museum, Salem E 25345.
Inventory Description Tapa piece, rectangular, black and orange crosshatching, damage from folding
Classification
  • Tapa
Department Ethnographic
Culture
  • Hawaiian
Geography/Provenience/Site Name
Oceania / United States / Hawaii
Dimensions Overall: 44.2 x 72.6 cm (17 3/8 x 28 9/16 in.)
Quantity 1
Label on object 118/ 118/BA/ 45.1284/ Cambridge
Credit Line Gift of the Boston Athenaeum, 1867
Provenance
Donor Boston Athenaeum (1867)

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
Fine tapa fragment
67-9-70/120 Fine tapa fragment
Tapa
Hawaii
Kapa
94-10-70/48375 Kapa
Tapa
Hawaii County
Image Not Available for Small fragments in plastic bag from object 27-5-70/D2994
27-5-70/D2994.1 Small fragments in plastic bag from object 27-5-70/D2994
Hawaii
Tapa
67-9-70/122 Tapa
Tapa
Hawaii
Small kapa cloth sample
71-8-70/2899 Small kapa cloth sample
Tapa
Hawaii
Kapa
90-17-70/48431 Kapa
Tapa
Aitutaki
Piece of tapa - white with brown designs
48-49-70/2922 Piece of tapa - white with brown designs
Felted
Samoa
Barkcloth
67-10-70/324 Barkcloth
Tapa
Hawaii
Tapa cloth
00-8-70/55415.1 Tapa cloth
Tapa
Aitutaki
Tapa cloth
973-24-70/5365 Tapa cloth
Tapa
Samoa?
Tapa
85-7-70/37624 Tapa
Tapa
Honolulu County
Tapa cloth sash of King's daughter
92-4-70/48378.3 Tapa cloth sash of King's daughter
Tapa
Samoa