Tapa cloth
Bark cloth decorated in a chevron pattern printed in black on a white background. The black areas are edged with dots leaving narrow white borders. The design is likely to be from Rarotonga or Samoa, and printed using blocks, although this example is particularly neat in execution. The zigzag pattern is similar to the wrapping found on staff gods.
This example was formerly in the collections of the London Missionary Society. The chevron pattern matches a sample included in a folder in the LMS archives at SOAS. The samples were sent by John Williams to his sister and are accompanied by a handwritten note in his hand. This larger piece may therefore also have belonged to Williams.
This example was formerly in the collections of the London Missionary Society. The chevron pattern matches a sample included in a folder in the LMS archives at SOAS. The samples were sent by John Williams to his sister and are accompanied by a handwritten note in his hand. This larger piece may therefore also have belonged to Williams.
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Object Details
ID: | ZBA5493 |
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Collection: | World Cultures |
Type: | Tapa cloth |
Display location: | Not on display |
Date made: | 19th century |
Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
Measurements: | Overall: 2210 mm x 970 mm |