Tapa
Artist unknown, Pacific Islander
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
Late 20th century
Object PlaceFiji
Medium/TechniqueBark cloth, pigment
DimensionsOverall: 207 x 133 cm (81 1/2 x 52 3/8 in.)
Credit LineGift of Geneviève McMillan in memory of Reba Stewart
Accession number2009.2770
On View
Not on viewClassificationsTextiles
DescriptionThe tapa cloth is not a woven textile, but rather, is made from bark that has been beaten and soaked. The term tapa is a generic term applied to all bark cloth textiles, which can be found throughout Oceania as well as South America and parts of Africa. A tapa can be made for a variety of purposes and can be used as a domestic item or a ceremonial offering. This Fijian tapa is adorned with abstract geometric patterns.
ProvenanceGeneviève McMillan (b. 1922 - d. 2008), Cambridge, MA; 2008, to the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation, Cambridge; 2009, gift of the Geneviève McMillan and Reba Stewart Foundation to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 17, 2009)
Artist Unidentified, Pacific Islander
mid to late 20th century
