item details
NameMasi (tapa cloth)
ProductionUnknown; maker/artist; circa 1960s; Fiji
Classificationtextiles
Materialstapa, bark cloth, dye
DimensionsOverall: 960mm (width), 1600mm (length)
Registration NumberFE013443
Credit lineGift of Helen Mason, 2012
Overview
This tapa is significant because it relates to the life and work of New Zealand potter Helen Mason. She helped establish the New Zealand Potter magazine in 1958 and was its first editor.The tapa was given to her by potters in the village of Volivoli in Sigatoka Valley on Viti Levu, Fiji. The islands of Fiji preserve an unbroken tradition of native pottery. In 1966 Helen spent several weeks working with Fijian potters and studying their techniques. Her experiences stimulated members of the New Zealand Society of Potters to visit Fiji in 1968, they included artists such as Peter Stichbury and Doreen Blumhardt.