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7-38

Tapa Cloth

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Bark cloth, or tapa, is not a woven material, but made from bark that has been softened through a process of soaking and beating. The inner bark is taken from several types of trees or shrubs, often mulberry and fig, and designs are applied with paints and vegetable dyes of light brown, red, and black. Bark cloth is manufactured for everyday needs such as room dividers, clothing, and floor mats, as well as ceremonial uses in weddings and funerals.

Though there are a variety of local names, the word tapa, originally from Tahiti, is commonly used to refer to bark cloth made all over the world. The Museum of Natural and Cultural History tapa cloth collection includes more than 80 tapas primarily from Polynesia, including the islands of Samoa, Tonga, Hawaii, and Tahiti. While tapa cloth is most often recognized as a Polynesian craft, it has also been made in South America, Indonesia, New Guinea, Melanesia, and parts of Africa; the museum’s collection includes tapas from Congo and Mozambique. The examples shown here reflect the varied designs and colors represented in the museum's holdings, from bold geometric patterns to detailed, stylized floral motifs. Images © UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Production of this gallery was generously supported by The Ford Family Foundation.

 

Image Gallery
Image
Brown design tapa cloth

Catalog #7-38 Tapa Cloth Apia, Island of Upolu, Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-38
Tapa Cloth
Apia, Island of Upolu, Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth detail

Catalog #7-38 Tapa Cloth Detail Apia, Island of Upolu, Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-38
Tapa Cloth Detail
Apia, Island of Upolu, Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth, dark brown designs

Catalog #7-440 Tapa Cloth American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-440
Tapa Cloth
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth detail

Catalog #7-440 Tapa Cloth Detail American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-440
Tapa Cloth Detail
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth from American Samoa

Catalog #7-441 Tapa Cloth Detail  American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-441
Tapa Cloth Detail 
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth from American Samoa, detail

Catalog #7-441 Tapa Cloth American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-441
Tapa Cloth
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth

Catalog #7-612 Printed paper American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-612
Printed paper
American Samoa

Image
Printed paper, American Samoa

Catalog #7-612 Printed paper, detail American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-612
Printed paper, detail
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth, American Samoa

Catalog #7-722 Tapa Cloth American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-722
Tapa Cloth
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth detail, American Samoa

Catalog #7-722 Tapa Cloth Detail American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-722
Tapa Cloth Detail
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth, American Samoa

Catalog #7-867 Tapa Cloth American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-867
Tapa Cloth
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth detail

Catalog #7-867 Tapa Cloth Detail  American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-867
Tapa Cloth Detail 
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth, American Samoa

Catalog #7-868 Tapa Cloth American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-868
Tapa Cloth
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth detail

Catalog #7-868 Tapa Cloth Detail American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-868
Tapa Cloth Detail
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth, American Samoa

Catalog #7-872 Tapa Cloth American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-872
Tapa Cloth
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth detail

Catalog #7-872 Tapa Cloth Detail American Samoa

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-872
Tapa Cloth Detail
American Samoa

Image
Tapa cloth, Fiji

Catalog #7-989 Tapa Cloth Fiji

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-989
Tapa Cloth
Fiji

Image
Tapa cloth detail, Fiji

Catalog #7-989 Tapa Cloth Detail Fiji

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-989
Tapa Cloth Detail
Fiji

Image
Tapa cloth, Tonga

Catalog #7-990 Tapa Cloth Tonga 

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-990
Tapa Cloth
Tonga 

Image
Tapa cloth detail, Tonga

Catalog #7-990 Tapa Cloth Detail Tonga 

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-990
Tapa Cloth Detail
Tonga 

Image
Tapa cloth, Fiji

Catalog #7-991 Tapa Cloth Fiji

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-991
Tapa Cloth
Fiji

Image
Tapa cloth detail

Catalog #7-991 Tapa Cloth Detail  Fiji

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-991
Tapa Cloth Detail 
Fiji

Image
Tapa cloth, Fiji

Catalog #7-999 Tapa Cloth Fiji

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-999
Tapa Cloth
Fiji

Image
Tapa cloth detail, Fiji

Catalog #7-999 Tapa Cloth Detail Fiji  

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-999
Tapa Cloth Detail
Fiji
 

Image
Tapa cloth, Fiji

Catalog #7-1000 Tapa Cloth Fiji

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-1000
Tapa Cloth
Fiji

Image
Tapa cloth detail, Fiji

Catalog #7-1000 Tapa Cloth Detail Fiji

Gallery Caption (Only for Collections Gallery Images)

Catalog #7-1000
Tapa Cloth Detail
Fiji

Collections Galleries

Bird, snake, lizards, and fish, Yirrkalla, Arnhem Land 30.5" x 17.75", Cat. No. 6-36
Aboriginal Australian Bark Paintings
Goniatite detail, Muensteroceras oweni, Rockford, Indiana, Rockford Formation, Mississippian (Kinderhookian) - Specimen #P6372A
Ammonite Fossils
Cebus sp. Capuchin
University of Oregon Comparative Primate Collection
Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus - 37.54 x 27.98 mm
Birds' Eggs
Bighorn sheep, anterior view of different specimen
Vertebrate Skulls
Navajo weaving
Navajo, Pueblo, and other Southwestern Weavings
See all collections galleries

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The Museum encourages the use of its collections for research, educational, and artistic purposes, through loans, exhibits, tours, class visits, and hosting visiting researchers.

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