Description:

**First Time At Auction**

North Pacific, Hawaiian Islands, ca. 18th century CE. A beautiful fragment of bark cloth that has been pounded out to a paper-thin surface and decorated with black geometric patterning. The naturally off-white surface contrasts well against the black diamonds arranged into rows and evenly spaced registers - these motifs may have been stenciled on - hence the uniformity. Before the introduction of cotton, tapa (kapa) bark cloth was the primary textile material of Hawaii pre-European contact. First, the paper mulberry tree is cut, and the bark is stripped, the inner bark retained and sun dried, then soaked. After this, the bark is beaten on a wooden anvil using wooden mallets. The strips are then beaten together using plant starch to form a large sheet, whose edges are then trimmed using a knife or sharp shell. The fine linear impressions left from the beater are visible on this piece. Size (textile): 9" L x 8.5" W (22.9 cm x 21.6 cm); (mat frame): 15.8" L x 12" W (40.1 cm x 30.5 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired 1995 to 2010

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#168095

  • Condition: Fragment of a larger piece as shown, tearing and losses to peripheries and center of pattern. Some staining and discoloration. Displayed in a removable paperboard mat frame.

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July 21, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
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$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000