English: This tapa cloth is made from the inner bark of a tree. Tapa is the name used in Papua New Guinea to refer to bark cloth. Bark cloth is made throughout the Pacific region and has many different names.

Object description: This tapa is from Domara Village, in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea. It is rectangular in shape and features red and black geometric designs. History:

Tapa can be made from the inner bark of paper mulberry trees or breadfruit trees. The inner bark is dried, soaked and beaten, and then painted with designs and decorations. Sometimes, special glue made from tapioca or sweet potato starch is used to make bigger pieces of cloth. Tapa cloths are used for special ceremonies and are given as gifts and/or worn at weddings and other events like graduations. Oro Province in Papua New Guinea is famous for its tapa and the women often wear ones like this while singing and dancing at traditional ‘singsings’. (A singsing is a special gathering where people perform traditional dances and songs.)