Fiji.- Sample of Tapa bark cloth made for the ruler of Fiji, 1820

£400 · At auction with Forum Auctions

Fiji.- Sample of Tapa bark cloth made for the ruler of Fiji, small piece of Tapa cloth (10 x 11cm) pinned to a contemporary note by sailor Benjamin Downing giving details of its origin, beige cloth box, some light shelf wear, c.1820. *** Tapa cloth, used throughout Polynesia, is made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree and used for ceremonial clothing. Cook collected specimens on all three of his voyages spurring a demand for examples among European and American collectors. The note reads "Came home in the Brig Java of Salem in 1820. The Dress of the King of Feegee Islands. This article is the bark of a tree."

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.