Featured Tapa Cloth from Fiji

Hello everyone. I purchased this large tapa cloth from a women on the island of Beqa, Fiji in 2002. It looks handmade and very old and I'm wondering if anyone has an idea if it's really from Fiji or elsewhere. The woman lived in a dirt-floor hut and she was happy to sell it to me for $25. It's 5 ft wide by 7 ft tall and I've had it hanging on my dining room wall ever since. Any input would be appreciated!

 

Thank you!!!

 

it's stunning........i think you did well on the price...but i think it's newer...rather than older.....

https://www.allbids.com.au/c/antiqu...s-collectables/large-fijian-tapa-cloth-941670

 

I know nothing about tapa cloths, but this is beautiful!

If I recall correctly, @Any Jewelry knows about these (apologies if my memory is in error ).

 

Jivvy - WHAT does AJ NOT know about?!

 

It's very pretty for the price and I doubt it's got a lot of age to it, looks like batik fabric to me.

 

• Thanks for the comments everyone. Here are some close up photos which you can't tell from those that I took last night. I think it's tapa because you can see the fibers and there's some overlapping pieces that have pulled apart a bit. It's a very large size I'm sure they pieced many pieces together which i can see in a few spots. It's got some holes in it and definitely worn...signs of age... but was like that when I got it

 

Yes, it's definitely Fijiian tapa cloth, and a very nice one besides.

While I can't give a definite age to it, the fact that the design pattern is more intricate than most being produced today, along with the evidence of repeated folding and unfolding in the creases, does point to it being at least mid- to late-20th century.

 

I should have mentioned in the previous post, that an excellent reference is Traditional Tapa Textiles of the Pacific by Roger Neich and Mick Pendergrast. It has a chapter on Fijiian masi that goes into much more detail than I can explain here, about how it is made, how it differs from tapa cloth made in other islands, and how some areas of Fiji show the influence of those other islands in subtle ways.

Tapa cloth from Samoa is one of the things I collect personally, but this is one of the better examples of tapa from Fiji, as well as a larger pieces than those being produced recently...which also indicates something about the age.

 

That is an absolutely gorgeous masi, so yes, it is a tapa cloth from Fiji. I'm with Taupou, it looks like it could be mid century. It has clearly been used, which is good.
Fijian tapa is called masi, which is the name of the tree they used the bark of for tapa in centuries past. They don't use masi bark anymore, they have been using paper mulberry bark for quite some time now, just like in most other tapa making Pacific nations.
For the decoration the maker used a combination of stamps, stencils, and handpainting. The stencils, for instance for the flower border around the central rectangle, would have been hand cut from fresh palm leaves for this masi. There is a lot of symbolism in your masi, mostly from nature but also haircomb motifs like these:

There is a lot I don't know about, I am still learning.

 

what about Kapkap's .....

 

That is amazing information. Thank you so much. I've always loved this piece and everyone enjoys looking at it when they come over. I just finally thought I'd try to figure out if it really was from Fiji and how old it is. I was pretty positive that it was an original because I bought it from a very old woman on a primitive/remote island that didn't have electricity.

So do you think it was made from the masi tree? I don't know what the cloth normally looks like...masi vs mulberry.

I remember getting back to Nadi before flying home and seeing obvious manufactured tapas in the stores. They were selling small ones in frames for $300-$500 each...and i felt so happy that my prize was authentic...and much nicer...and a bargain to boot. Although I did feel kind of bad having purchased it for $25 after I knew what they sold for in the stores. But I really didn't know anything about tapa until she offered to sell me this one

 

No, sorry, not from the masi tree, just masi by name. It is from the paper mulberry tree.
It was still made in the traditional way, though, involving ceremony. Fijian masi used to be reserved for chiefs and for religious purposes. It slowly made its way into regular clothing, because it was more durable than grass skirts. But the process of making it was still regarded as ceremonial.

Love kapkaps. I always wanted one, but couldn't afford them. Now, with stricter cites laws, I am glad I have one less object to worry about.

 

I've never heard of a kapkap...I'll have to look that up.

Since you are all so knowledgeable, I thought I'd also share this mask with you that I purchased on the same trip. At the time I was told it was over a hundred years old but who knows. I just liked it so I bought it. Any thoughts on this?

 

maybe 20 years....not 100.....not with all that fresh paint...

 

Fairly recent, and made for the tourist trade. It's based on the style from the Sepik River region of Papua New Guinea, but may not have actually been made there.