Samoan Tapa Cloth

This 24" x 24" Samoan tapa cloth (or 'siapo') is a very cool item for both its cultural heritage and its PSG history. This tapa cloth features the 'ulu (breadfruit) design, and small tapa cloths like this are commonly sold in tourist shops in American Samoa. 

This tapa cloth is from the estate of Binion Amerson, longtime member of the PSG, one of the original crew of the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Programme (POBSP), the man who collected the first specimen of Bryan's Shearwater, author of "The Coral Carrier," a history of French Frigate Shoals. The cloth was donated by Jeff Cox, a longtime friend of Bionion's who acquired it after Binion passed away. After the POBSP was completed, Binion worked on a survey of the wildlife of American Samoa. He brought back several samples of tapa cloth, and among Binion's slides were a few, dated 1976, showing tapa cloth making (seen in the photos above).

About tapa cloths, in general: 

From the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History: "Bark cloth, or tapa, is not a woven material, but made from bark that has been softened through a process of soaking and beating. The inner bark is taken from several types of trees or shrubs, often mulberry and fig, and designs are applied with paints and vegetable dyes of light brown, red, and black. Bark cloth is manufactured for everyday needs such as room dividers, clothing, and floor mats, as well as ceremonial uses in weddings and funerals."

• Company Name : Jeff Cox