siapo (bark cloth), unrecorded Samoan artist

Artwork Overview

unrecorded Samoan artist, siapo (bark cloth)
unrecorded Samoan artist, siapo (bark cloth)
unrecorded Samoan artist
siapo (bark cloth)
late 1800s
unrecorded Samoan artist, artist
siapo (bark cloth), late 1800s
Where object was made: American Samoa or Samoa
Material/technique: paint; bark; pigment
Dimensions:
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 209 x 165 cm
Object Length/Width (Length x Width): 64 15/16 x 82 5/16 in
Credit line: Gift from the Harold Eicholtz Collection
Accession number: 2007.4052
Not on display
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Spencer Museum of Art Highlights

Among the most distinguished Samoan art forms is the creation of tapa, or siapo in the Samoan language, an intricately interwoven and hand-painted cloth made from pounded bark strips of the paper mulberry tree. The cloth, a token of wealth and tradition created exclusively by women, is formally gifted for use in special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and gift exchanges. The pinwheel-like motif found on this object, known as manulua, is one of the oldest in Samoan and Tongan design, symbolizing the legacy of royal lineages.

Google Art Project

Among the most distinguished Samoan art forms is the creation of tapa, or siapo in the Samoan language, an intricately interwoven and hand-painted cloth made from pounded bark strips of the paper mulberry tree. The cloth, a token of wealth and tradition created exclusively by women, is formally gifted for use in special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and gift exchanges. The pinwheel-like motif found on this object, known as manulua, is one of the oldest in Samoan and Tongan design, symbolizing the legacy of royal lineages.

Exhibitions

Google Art Project
2016