Barkcloth
| Culture | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Title | Barkcloth (Siapo, Tapa) |
| Date | 1930–1950 |
| Medium | Barkcloth and pigment |
| Dimensions | Object: 63 × 43 3/4 in. (160 × 111.1 cm) Overall: 63 x 43 3/4 in. (160 x 111.1 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Mrs. Edward J. Kempf, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 73.83.8 |
| This artwork is currently off display. You may be able to see this artwork by filling out an art viewing room request. | |
The cloth is decorated with a 4x3 grid of square panels, each roughly equal in size; the designs in the panels alternate in a linear pattern. Each square panel is decorated with either a design with an "X" shape, or a design with parallel lines and triangular patterns, and the orientation of the designs in these panels often rotates.
This siapo is decorated in a characteristic Samoan layout with the colors of black and brown. The black pigment, created from candlenut, leaves a distinctive sheen on the tapa. The composition, made up of twelve squares, is framed with a thick brown border, thicker than lines used elsewhere in the piece.
Tapa motifs in Samoa are generally abstracted forms that represent elements from nature. A named motif, fa’a aveauor starfish, is represented in this piece by the pinwheel design. However, the history and meaning of many of these named motifs have not been documented.
According to Adrienne Kaeppler, who noted the relatively small size, the border that frames the twelve squares, and variations in the design, as well as incomplete motifs, indicate that this tapa was likely created as a gift or for a tourist market.
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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Cite this page
"Barkcloth | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=73.83.8