Tapa is made from the beaten down fibre of the bark of a mulberry tree, and painted by hand. The decoration is composed of geometric patterns characteristic for Tonga. The craft of making a tapa is a very distinctive part of the Polynesian culture, but nowadays it is obsolete. In addition, the large dimensions of this object led us to include it among the masterpieces.

History of the Object

Acquired by Wojciech Paczuski on the Tonga Islands in the late 60s of 20th century when he worked on the cruise lines, sailing between the Pacific islands.