Tapa Cloth

Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea

Tapa Cloth painting originates in Papua New Guinea. This is a cloth made by soaking and then pounding the inner layer of the bark of the paper mulberry tree until it is almost paper-thin. The cloth is then painted in very beautiful traditional designs.

Before cotton and other textiles were introduced, tapa cloth was primarily used for clothing. Nowadays tapa is still often worn on formal occasions such as weddings or used as blankets at night. It is also highly prized for its decorative value and is often found used to hang on the walls as a decoration.

Bark of the Paper Mulberry tree

Height : 19″ (48.3cm)