Glasgow University Experts Plan Barkcloth Research

The ancient art of barkcloth-making in the Pacific Islands will be explored in a new research project by experts from Glasgow University.

Inhabitants of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji have produced the cloth, also known as tapa, for about 5,000 years.

Used for clothing, furnishing and ritual masks, the material gradually fell out of favour as a result of increasing Western influence but remains an important symbol of cultural identity.

Experts from Glasgow University, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC will investigate the history of the textile made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree and other plants.

Through close study they hope to gain new insight into the lost skills, culture and knowledge associated with the ancient craft.

The three-year project begins in November, supported by a grant from the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

Frances Lennard, a senior lecturer in textile conservation at Glasgow University, said: Barkcloth is a very distinctive art form and close study of it can tell us a lot, not only about the plants that were used to make the materials, but also about the people who made them.

We are looking forward to beginning work on this landmark project, which will contribute greatly to our rather scant knowledge of the history and techniques at the heart of this traditional skill.''

Botanists at Kew will research the plants used and their properties, drawing on its historical archives and collections of botanical specimens.

Kew curator Mark Nesbitt said: Barkcloth is an under-studied material. We expect botany to offer many new insights into its manufacture and use, and look forward to sharing the results with barkcloth-using communities in the Pacific.''