Barkcloth

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Culture Fijian

Title Barkcloth (Masi, Tapa)

Date Late 19th–early 20th century

Medium Mulberry bark fiber with pigment

Dimensions Object: 74 × 139 in. (188 × 353.1 cm)
Overall: 74 x 139 in. (188 x 353.1 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 66.117

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About this Work

Using a straightedge, Fijian artists decorate masi with repeated geometric stencils within borders. Traditionally, stencils were cut from pandanus or banana leaves using a shell. Today, cardstock or film negatives—cut with scissors or knives—are preferred. This piece of masi is typical of western Polynesian barkcloth in that it was pasted together.

When interpreting masi, symbolic meaning is derived from the entirety of the work rather than from isolated motifs. Many motifs are used extensively, the differences among iterations reflect the stylistic preferences of smaller regions, which experts can use to pinpoint a masi’s exact origin.

Provenance
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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Barkcloth | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=66.117