The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Object: Ngatu (tapa cloth)
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Title / object name  Ngatu (tapa cloth)
Materials  bark, dye
Dimensions
Overall  2300 (Length) x 2000 (Width) mm
Classification  textiles
Registration Number  FE012487
Credit Line
Purchased 2009

Thisngatu (tapa cloth)was collected by Cecil Roy Clark, a private of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces who was stationed in Samoa during the First World War. In Tonga as in many other countries, historical events are recorded on tapa, and this rare tapa example depicts Halley's comet which appeared in 1910. According to researchers, Halley's comet reappears every 70 to 80 years, and the last recorded sighting took place in the 1980s. This Tongan ngatu is a unique example of the visual documentation of important events during the early twentieth century.

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This electronic record was created from historic documentation. It may not necessarily reflect the best available knowledge about the collection item. Some collection images are created for identification purposes only and therefore may not be of reproduction quality. Some images are not available due to copyright restrictions. If you have additional information or questions about objects in the collection, we encourage you to contact us.