223. Presentation of Fijian mats and tapa cloths to Queen Elizabeth II.

• Function
  • Enormous tapa cloth made for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 to Fiji, on the occasion of her coronation as Queen of England.
  • Presentation to the Queen in an example of Performance art.
• Form
  • imagery of royal crowns, geometric patterns, and a floral motif
• Gender Roles
  • men: oversea the growth of Mulberry trees that produce the tapas
  • Women: turn the bark into cloth
• How it's made
  • 1. Bark removed from trees, soaked in water
  • 2. clubs are used to beat the strips into long rectangular block to form cloth
  • 3. the edges of these smaller pieces are then glued or felted together to produce larger sheets.
  • 4. Decorated according to a local tradition: Sometimes stenciled, sometimes printed or dyed