Tapa / cloth

Description

Rectangular section of barkcloth ('ahu), creamy pale yellow in colour with decoration on one side with coloured circular shapes and small black or red feathers stuck to the cloth in places,collected during the second or third Cook voyage: Tahiti, Society Islands, Polynesia, 18th century

Museum reference

A.UC.412

Collection

Oceania

Object name

Tapa / cloth

Production information

Tahiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia, Polynesia

Date

18th century

Materials

Barkcloth

Physical description

Rectangular section of barkcloth with at least two cut sides, quite weighty and soft with felt-like, mesh texture, visible layers and tightly spaced parallel beater marks, a creamy pale yellow in overall colour with decoration on one side consisting of single, double or triple light-brown coloured circular shapes, with grey-coloured discolouration down the length of the cloth and in other areas, along with water damage, and small black and red feathers stuck to the cloth in places.

Associations

Collector: Anderson, William, 1750 - 1778
Cook, James, Captain, 1728 - 1779
Previous owner: Douglas, Basil William, Lord Daer, 1763 - 1794