tapa

(noun)

A kind of cloth prepared by the Polynesians from the inner bark of the paper mulberry; sometimes called also kapa.

Related Terms

Examples of tapa in the following topics:

  • Pre-European Hawaiian Art

    • This art includes wood carvings, feather work, petroglyphs, bark cloth (called kapa in Hawaiian and tapa elsewhere in the Pacific), and tattoos.
    • It is similar to tapa found elsewhere in Polynesia, but it differs in the methods used in its creation.

  • Samoa

    • Other items include bark-cloth, siapo (equivalent to the Fijian tapa cloth), which is made from beaten mulberry bark.

  • Tonga

    • Among the typical koloa are: bark cloth (also called tapa), mats, waist mats (ta'ovala), waist girdles (kiekie), and traditional dance clothing.

  • Crafts in the Cook Islands

    • The island Atiu, in particular, has a strong tradition of crafts both in carving and local fiber arts such as tapa.