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Object Number 99-15-70/53901
Display Title Tapa cloth
Descriptions
Object Description Tapa cloth. Description: "Siapo mamanu" - free hand painted barkcolth. A medium weight cloth of two layers of relatively finely pounded off-white inner bark fibers. Fibers in the two layers are oriented cross grain to one another. Each layer is composed of bark strips (~150 cm long x 35-55 cm wide) beaten together with overlapped joins. There is no evidence of adhesive use in joining. Manufacture related fold lines traverse the piece horizontally. Small retcangular patches occur at the site of branch related holes throughout the cloth. All four edges of the cloth retain their original, multi-layered, uneven finish. There are no beater marks present.
Inventory Description Tapa cloth, rectangular, painted grid with geometric and floral designs
Classification
  • Tapa
Department Ethnographic
Geography/Provenience/Site Name
Oceania / Samoa
Dimensions Overall: 178 x 205.5 cm (70 1/16 x 80 7/8 in.)
Quantity 1
Provenance
Collector Dr. William McMichael Woodworth

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