Tapa Cloth: Pacific Bark Cloth Art

Cloth from Trees

Tapa — known as ngatu in Tonga, siapo in Samoa, masi in Fiji, and kapa in Hawaii — is bark cloth made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera). This technique, shared across the Pacific Islands, represents one of humanity's oldest textile traditions, predating woven cloth by thousands of years.

The Beating Process

Making tapa begins with harvesting young mulberry trees, stripping the outer bark, and soaking the inner bark in seawater. The softened bark is then beaten with wooden mallets (ike in Tonga, i'e in Samoa) on an anvil. The rhythmic beating thins and widens the bark strip, fusing fibers together. Multiple strips are joined with natural adhesives (arrowroot paste or tree sap) to create large sheets.

Painting and Stenciling

Once the cloth is made, it receives decorative patterns. Tongan ngatu uses a kupesi — a relief pattern tablet made from coconut midrib — placed under the cloth and rubbed with pigment to transfer designs. Samoan siapo uses freehand painting with natural brown and black pigments from candlenut soot and o'a tree bark. Fijian masi employs stencil techniques with banana leaf stencils. Each island group has distinct aesthetic traditions.

Cultural Functions

• Tonga: ngatu for weddings, funerals, and coronations
• Samoa: siapo for chief title bestowals and gifts
• Fiji: masi for ceremonial clothing and room decoration
• Hawaii: kapa for bedding, clothing, and religious offerings
• Modern: wall hangings, fashion accessories, art pieces