A large painted siapo bark cloth, likely Samoa or wider Polynesia, measuring 6’4” x 6’6”. Made from beaten bark fiber, the cloth is decorated with a bold allover grid of geometric motifs in warm brown, reddish-brown, and dark earth pigments.
Siapo, the Samoan tradition of bark cloth, is closely tied to ceremony, exchange, and domestic life throughout Polynesia. These cloths were often made in large formats and decorated with repeating geometric designs drawn from natural, architectural, and ancestral forms. The patterning here has a strong architectural rhythm, with bands, rectangles, triangular forms, and dark filled passages arranged across the surface.
This example has a particularly strong presence because of its scale and graphic structure. The surface shows the hand of its making clearly, with variations in pigment, irregular edges, fold lines, and areas of wear that speak to its age and use. It would display beautifully as a large textile artwork.
Size: 6'4" x 6'6" [193cm x 198cm]
Age: Mid Century
Origin: Samoa
Type of Textile: Bark Cloth (Siapo)
Material: Mulberry bark, pigment
Condition: Good
TX677
