Tapa Fabric

Originally made in the Pacific island nations, TAPA is a barkcloth traditionally decorated by rubbing, stenciling, or dyeing, among other techniques specific to the Tongan, Samoan, and Fijian people. The British Captain Cook first collected the cloths and brought them to the western world in the mid-18th century. In some cultures, the TAPA cloth was an important aspect of gift exchange. The simple mark-making on TAPA likely represents Leva berries (the series of dots) and the ocean’s currents (the zigzag pattern).