Barkcloth 'ahu
Place: Tahiti & Society Islands
Category: Barkcloth
Tahiti and the Society Islands, l. 102 cm, w. 112 cm, Inv. Oz 626
Humphrey No. 14: ‘Another [piece of thin Bark Cloth) of a deep red from ditto [Society Isles].’
The fine lines caused by the barkcloth beater, tupai, are easy to discern on this single-layered, thin cloth. The cloth has several small holes around the edges. One small corner has been torn off, while at another corner a piece measuring 4 x 20 cm has been cut away. Near the torn-off corner is a Humphrey label with the number 14. In addition to an uneven, reddish-brown dye, one half of the cloth exhibits several dark red dye stains. Gundolf Krüger