Traditional Tapa Textiles of the Pacific

The manufacture of tapa cloth, made from the inner bark of certain trees, is one of the most intriguing products of the cultures of the Pacific islands. In several parts of Melanesia from New Guinea to Vanuatu, in Fiji, and on most of the high islands of Polynesia from Hawaii to Tahiti, the Marquesas, Tonga, Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, and New Zealand, making barkcloth is an ancient craft that has been practiced for thousands of years. Traditional Tapa Textiles of the Pacific presents a complete range of the ancient art of tapa, from cloth brought back from the first European voyages to the Pacific to contemporary examples. The origins, materials, and manufacturing techniques are described, as well as tapa's cultural context and uses in weddings, funerals, clothing, dance, and ornament. With more than two hundred color illustrations, many published for the first time, this book is a comprehensive survey of this distinctive branch of Pacific art.