PAINTED TAPA CLOTH, Collingwood Bay, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea
This cloth is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree. Thick section of bark is beaten continually with a wooden mallet. That makes the tapa larger, stronger and thinner. Designs are applied using two natural dyes; one a reddish. Colour, the other dark grey. Such cloths are traditionally used. As capes and loin cloths. Size: 165 cm (length) 58.5 cm (width).