219. Hiapo (tapa). Niue. c. 1850–1900 C.E. Tapa or bark cloth, freehand painting.

• Form
  • tapa is cloth made from tree bark; the pieces are beaten and pasted together
  • using stencils, the artist dye the exposed parts of the tapa with paint
  • after the tapa is dry, designs are sometimes repainted to enhance the effect
  • traditionally worn as clothing before the importance of cotton
• Content
  • Hiapo is the word used in Niue for “tapa” or “bark cloth”
  • tapa is cloth made from tree bark; the pieces are beaten and pasted together
  • traditionally worn as clothing before the importance of cotton
  • Tapa
    • take on a special meaning
    • commemorating an event
    • honoring a chief
    • noting a series of ancestors
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