Overview
In the late 1700s, Tahitian tapa was distinctive for its fine quality. 'A fine white cloth like muslin' was ethnologist George Forster's description, during a visit to Tahiti with British explorer James Cook in 1773.
Tahitians generally wore tapa made into a tiputa (poncho). The tiputa was an unusual garment among Pacific Islanders because it covered the upper body.
Before the impact of European missionaries and settlers in the 1800s, Tahitian society was divided into social classes. Tapa-making was described as the work of commoners – men cultivating paper mulberry plantations, and women beating the bark strips. Decoration and repair was the work of upper-class women.
This collection narrative is based on the Tapa: Pacific Style exhibition on display at Te Papa, level 4 (September 2009 - September 2010).