Tapa cloth is a multipurpose cloth typically associated to the Islands of the Pacific. Each island tends to have its own unique way of manufacture, design and use for barkcloths which lend themselves for either everyday or ceremonial use. Tapa is made from local tree bark where it is grown, stripped, and dried then it can either be created by beating felting or gluing pieces together with tree gums to create a canvas. After the base layer is complete, patterns are applied onto the top side, and are either stamped, drawn, painted or dyed to create symmetrical designs. A tapa mat is typically painted on one side, and forms part of the outer layer of design for clothing, wall decorations, ceremonial mats or bed covers. Tapa is not very durable in wet weather as it made like paper, and will shrink, disintergrate or warp. Tapa was originally favoured for everyday functions such as for clothing, but since the introduction of synthetic fibres and cottons, people now prefer tapa for decorative purposes, and they still regarded as part of a high value exchange system of goods in ceremony. A man can measure his wealth through how many tapa mats he has, rather than by his monetary assets.
Each island group of the Pacific typically has its own design which shows part of their own cultural identity, as well as this, Island groups will give their own specific name to tapa to distinguish themselves further from the generalisation of "barkcloth tapa mats" which I have described.
This can especially be seen in Hawaii where tapa is called kapa, and the creation of kapa is through felting paper mulberry pieces together, then stamping a watermark over the felting, with a painted symmetrical design overlain.
This tapa installation required the removal of 16 tapa mats which had been on display for a long period of time. Through comparative testing done with the conservation bluewool light fastness test and a microfader, we established that many of these tapa had been on display past their shelf life, and were showing signs of irreversible fading and pigment loss. This testing allowed us to make the decision to replace the original 16 tapa, with 10 larger pieces which represented every island in the Pacific known to make variations of tapa. We chose to mix traditional and modern pieces to give visitors an idea of how tapa was made decorated historically with an interlude of more modern interpretations and designs.
Installation of the tapa required several people as their size on rolled storage meant they could not be mounted before going on display in a narrow display case. It required systemically unspooling each tapa, magentising it to a metal bar and colour matching various strengths of magnet on the front edge for display.
All the tapa were conservation tested prior to going on display to give an estimated time for display under light controlled environments before it is recommended they rest in storage.
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