Signed Tonga Tapa Cloth - ca. 1970

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Ancient | Asian | Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

May 9, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-05-09 10:00:00 2019-05-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Ancient | Asian | Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-asian-ethnographic-4110
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• Lot Description
  Pacific Islands, Tonga, ca. 1970 CE. A signed and very soft tapa cloth presenting a mostly natural blonde hue with 7 decorative motifs arranged in an attractive symmetrical design, including 3 flower or star motifs, each with four petals or rays, as well as 4 circular orbs with dotted borders. In addition, this cloth is signed with a reverse N-like character followed by "EEWAIA". Tapa cloths are still used today for ceremonial occasions - sometimes made into clothing and masks for dances or offerings for marriages and funerals - as well as impressive wall decorations. Size: 66.5" L x 31" H (168.9 cm x 78.7 cm)
  
  According to the curatorial staff at Harvard University's Peabody Museum: "For hundreds of years, tapamaking was one of the most sophisticated plant-fiber technologies in the Pacific Islands. In the eighteenth century and before, tapa served as both daily and ceremonial clothing. It was made into headdresses, turbans, loincloths, sashes, girdles, skirts, and ponchos. The cloth was used for bedcovers, wall dividers, or mosquito curtains as well as for special wrappings of staff gods, for the outer layer of sculptures, for wrapping skulls, and for masks. Individuals were surrounded by tapa at birth, weddings, and death. Special cloths were made for dowries, diplomatic gifts, and treaty agreements. Large-scale accumulation of tapa signified wealth and aided in achieving status. It was also used to pay tribute. Barkcloth material, partially processed or as undecorated sheets, was an important trade item and was exchanged for plaited mats, adzes, whaleteeth, and sandalwood. Eventually, the increased availability of woven cotton cloth made in Asia and Europe led to a significant decline of hand-produced tapa, altered its use, and encouraged further changes in the ways in which tapa was decorated." (https://www.peabody.harvard.edu/node/2271)
  
  Provenance: private Poos collection, Overland Park, Kansas, USA; purchased from private collection in 2017 - One of the largest privately held quilt and textile collections in the world, the Poos Collection has evolved over 50 years and through extensive travels to allow for original or point of source acquisition. The collection includes international textiles and garments with an emphasis on West African textiles such as adire, aso oke, kente, and ewe woven prestige cloths as well as Pacific Island textiles like this example.
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
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  #145900

  Condition

  Expected losses, tears, and folds to edges as shown. Some losses to the body of the cloth. Fold marks/creases as shown. The cloth is very soft as is commensurate with age and use.
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