DAY 347

ART AROUND THE WORLD

Second Skin

SOUTH PACIFIC BARK CLOTH

Have you ever thought about wearing a skirt made from pounded tree bark? While this may not be your first fashion choice, many cultures, from Africa and Asia to the northwest coast of America, utilize this flexible, natural “fabric” called Tapa (the Tahitian word for bark cloth). Manufactured from the paper of the mulberry or breadfruit tree, this traditional textile can be found throughout the South Pacific islands of Polynesia and Melanesia. Tapa is formed through a labor-intensive process of stripping the fibrous layer of bark from the tree, drying, soaking, pounding it flat, and then cutting the thin, paper-like sheet into strips to be glued together, forming a larger piece of “cloth.” The bumpy, highly textured cloth then can be made into a blanket, an item of clothing, or an elaborately crafted tapestry, highly prized among community members for its intricate designs of birds, flowers, and family crests.

Since cotton and other textiles have replaced Tapa for everyday clothing (which becomes quite soggy when wet; imagine wearing a wet paper bag!), Tapa is reserved for formal occasions and for gift giving. The island nation of Tonga historically has produced and continues to produce more Tapa cloth than any other part of Polynesia, with an emphasis placed on its cultural and ceremonial significance. —SBR