Barkcloth
Barkcloth (known generally in Oceania as ‘tapa’),
is made from the inner bark of trees such as the paper mulberry and breadfruit
tree. It is usually made by women.
Section from Samoan or Fijian barkcloth
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The most common process is to:
- strip the bark
- separate the inner bark from the outer
- scrape it clean
- pound it, using wooden beaters over a wooden anvil
- beat two layers together at right angles to make a type of cloth.
Follow the links below to find out more about making and using barkcloth.
Oceania homepage |
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