Tapa, Oceanic Art, Tribal Art, Primitive Art, Oceania, Papua New Guinea, 124 X 62 Cm

Tapa dance skirt collected in the Popondetta region of Papua New Guinea. Tapa is the first fabric available in this region of the world. Its uses were varied: clothing, shroud, blanket, mosquito net, bag, and prestige currency for some high-quality pieces. Tapas from the Popondetta region are made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree and are used as dance skirts. The bark is extracted, moistened, beaten, and dried. Beating it packs the fibers and welds them together. Depending on the type of beating, the thickness, texture, and flexibility of the fabric vary. The drawn patterns evoke a number of important events or facts in an abstract and symbolic way. Beaten bark and natural pigments. Very beautiful framed between two panes of glass. Approx. 124 x 62 cm / €350 including shipping.