Tapa Cloth

The manufacture of tapa cloth is one of the most distinctive products of the cultures of the Pacific islands. As such tapa identifying and documentation began as early as 1787 when a book by Alexander Shaw was published with samples collected on Captain Cook Pacific voyages.Fijian tapa is made from the inner bark of paper mulberry.After the bark is removed from the tree it gets pounded into flat sheets that are joined together to form larger panels, used for utilitarian and ceremonial purposes. Most cloth used is white and easily identifiable, with black painting on white, mostly hand painted but also stamped and rubbed.