ID: 700001794 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/cona/700001794	Record Type: Movable Work
Images: 1

Masi (tapa cloth) (textile (visual works); Unknown, Fiji; undetermined; Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington, Welling...; FE004086/3)

Note: Tapa, made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree (Broussentia papyrifera), is found across the Pacific. In Fiji, it is known as masi and is made exclusively by women. Masi is made by stripping the bark from the plant, separating the inner bark, and beating it with a wooden mallet, usually on a wooden anvil. The method of decoration differs from place to place, and has changed over the years. The different kinds of masi include masi kesa (stencilled), masi kuvui (brown or smoked), seyavu (white or plain), and masi vakarerega (yellow). The different colours reflect a person's rank in society, with white or brown masi used by those of chiefly blood. The uses for masi are also very diverse. This example is a large sheet of masi folded in half with a sennit cord running along the fold. The patterns on the two sides are different, suggesting it was probably used as a room divider.

Titles:

Masi (tapa cloth) (preferred,C,U,RP,English-P,U,U)

Catalog Level: item

Work Types:

textile (visual works) [300014063] (preferred)

..... (Objects Facet, Visual and Verbal Communication (hierarchy name), Visual Works (hierarchy name), visual works (works), <visual works by material or technique>)

ceremonial object [300234117]

..... (Objects Facet, Object Genres (hierarchy name), object genres (object classifications), <object genres by function>)

Classifications:

textiles (preferred)

ceremonial

Creation Date: undetermined

Creator Display:

Unknown, Fiji [preferred,VP]

textile worker unknown Fijian (Fijian cultural designation) [500203283]

Locations:

Creation: Fiji [7000493] Oceania (continent), World (facet) (Geographic)

Current: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand) [500311561] Corporate Bodies (Corp. Body)

Repository Numbers: FE004086/3

Credit Line: Acquisition history unknown

Display Materials: plant fibre, bark cloth

	plant fiber [300014031]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by form>, <materials by physical form>, <fiber and fiber by product>, fiber, natural fiber)

	bark cloth [300048116]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by form>, <materials by physical form>, <fiber and fiber by product>, <fiber by product>, textile materials, <textile materials by composition or origin>)

	painting (image-making) [300054216]
	.......(Activities Facet, Processes and Techniques (hierarchy name), <processes and techniques by specific type>, <image-making processes and techniques>, <painting and painting techniques>)

	tapa (bark cloth) [300072237]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by form>, <materials by physical form>, <fiber and fiber by product>, <fiber by product>, textile materials, <textile materials by composition or origin>, bark cloth)

Dimensions: Overall: 4280 (height) x 3000 (width) mm

Cultures:

Fijian (preferred)

General Subject:

decorative arts (preferred)

List/Hierarchical Position:

..... Movable Works

.......... Movable Works by class: decorative and utilitarian works

Sources and Contributors:
Masi (tapa cloth)	........ [VP,TePapa]
	........ Te Papa online (2000-) http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ObjectDetails.aspx?oid=155316; accessed 20 August 2012
	........ Te Papa spreadsheet (2012)

Subject: ....... [VP,TePapa]

....................... Te Papa spreadsheet (2012)

Note:
English	..... [VP]
	..... Te Papa online (2000-) http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ObjectDetails.aspx?oid=155316; accessed 20 August 2012