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Masi (Melanesian and Polynesian)

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Maker Once Known, Melanesian and Polynesian People (Fiji)
Masi (n.d.)
bark cloth, vegetable dye, paint
150.0 x 122.0 cm
Gift of Sidney Greenwald
2000-20-3

This is a tapa bark cloth from Fiji, where bark cloths are called masi. With cloth produced from the pounded inner bark of the mulberry tree much like other tapa traditions throughout the Pacific, masi decorations feature stenciling in addition to other techniques. In this example, decorated with checkerboard pattern, you can see stenciling in some of the geometric and floral designs in addition to the background staining and freehand painting techniques. As described in the New Zealand Museum's exhibition on Tapas, Fijian stenciling techniques have changed over time: "Originally they made stencils from banana leaves and other large leaves. These days, x-ray film, or the plastic from rice bags, is proving much more durable."

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  1. Decorative Techniques from Around the World Jessica Nelson

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