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Tapa cloth wrapping from god staff

Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Tapa cloth wrapping from god staff
 (19th century)

Medium
natural pigments on tapa (barkcloth) (Brussonetia sp.)

Measurements
131.5 × 52.6 cm

Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Presented through the NGV Foundation by Mrs Joan Emery, Member, 2000

Reproduction requests

Gallery location
Not on display

Artwork Details

Place/s of Execution
Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Accession Number
2000.274

Department
Pacific Art

This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation

Physical description
The tapa is soft and has a smooth surface, painted with an extremely subtle criss-cross pattern in black and red, decorated with linear striations and bands of colour. The intricacies of the hatched pattern are intensified as cloth is held upright.

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