Vintage PNG Bark cloth (Tapa)

Description

Vintage Bark cloth from PNG (Tapa)
Vintage Bark cloth from Ca. 1960's.
A b
eautiful vintage museum piece with deep spiritual meaning.
Contemplating this piece it reads like a map,but the outlines also suggest various spirit reptiles.
This has been used as a dance skirt during ceremonies, it has overall age patina including some light water staining,
which to me this adds to the authenticity of the piece, it is not really noticeable when displayed, only close up.
Dimensions: 1930mm x 1050mm.
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If you are interested in Tapa cloths, (Kapa, Bark cloths, Masi, Ngatu, Siapo or PNG Bark cloths)
I have a few more listings on Ebay and will combine postage, if you'll buy 2 only pay postage for 1.
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Background info:
Tapa cloths are made of bark fibers, a type of cloth made from the bast, or inner bark strips of specific trees, mainly the mulberry tree, although several species of breadfruit and fig trees are also used.
As Tapa cloths are hand made with symbols and designs specific to a particular island group, region,or township, every single one is one of a kind and unique.
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Info about PNG Bark cloths.
Most bark cloths from PNG are made by the Maisin people, who are made up of 36 clans, mostly living around the coast of Collingwood Bay.
For the Maisin people it took arduous journeys and fierce fighting before they finally settled down along this coast. During these journeys the Maisin conquered prized possessions like strategic or special land marks, places of importance.
These claims are translated by the people in clan emblems to show their identity and significance in clan designs that
are evident in many of their hand made items, painted bark cloth is one of those.
The bark cloths are made of the bark of the mulberry tree, called wuwusi in PNG.
The bark is soaked, flattened and beaten into loincloths/ skirts for women and men.
The women's skirts are called embobi and the male loincloths are called koefi, the designs on them are created by the women.
First the outlines of black designs are drawn with a black pigment made from river clay or a leaf pigment,  followed by the application of small dots and geometrical figures completing the design.
Lastly red pigment called dun is applied to the cloth.
This natural die made of bark and leaves has to be boiled and also applied when it is still warm.
The red color adds the finishing touch to the bark cloth and adds that distinctive lively and dynamic
character to the koefi or embobi.
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About Tapapacifica:
Living in New Zealand, I have been collecting Pacific Tapa cloths for about 30 years through the years have gained a lot of knowledge about the subject.
As I've reached my limit space wise I decided to sell a large portion of my collection off and over the last 6 years have sold a number of Tapa cloths to collectors, galleries, resorts, libraries, Government departments and museums.
A small part of my collection is kept on loan in museums in many parts of the world.
Customer satisfaction is very important to me.
Items are carefully packed, an item which arrives damaged will be refunded.
For more info: www.tapapacifica.com.
Thanks for your interest, questions are always welcome.
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