Shifting Patterns: Pacific barkcloth at the British Museum
Until 16 August 2015, a selection of barkcloth textiles from the Pacific region is on view at the British Museum. Used to wrap, drape and adorn the body in a myriad of styles and designs, these textiles demonstrate the long history of barkcloth, and its ongoing relevance today. Spanning the region from New Guinea in the west to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east, ‘Shifting Patterns’ shows a selection of 77 garments, headdresses, masks and body adornments from the BM collection. Dating from the 1700s to 2014, they include those worn as everyday items and ceremonial costumes linked to key life cycle events such as initiation and marriage.
Barkcloth, kua’ula, Hawaiian Islands, Eastern Polynesia, late 18th Century © The Trustees of the British Museum
Barkcloth dance skirt, pā’ū, by Dalani Tanahy, O’ahu, Hawaiian Islands, 2014 © The Trustees of the British Museum, Courtesy of the artist
Barkcloth wedding dress by Samoan designer Paula Chan Cheuk, New Zealand, 2014, commissioned with support from the New Zealand Society UK and private donors © The Trustees of the British Museum
Barkcloth wedding dress by Samoan designer Paula Chan Cheuk, New Zealand, 2014, commissioned with support from the New Zealand Society UK and private donors © The Trustees of the British Museum
Barkcloth wedding dress by Samoan designer Paula Chan Cheuk, New Zealand, 2014, commissioned with support from the New Zealand Society UK and private donors © The Trustees of the British Museum
Man’s loincloth, Collingwood Bay, Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, 1890s-1910s © The Trustees of the British Museum
Barkcloth mask, kavat, New Britain, Papua New Guinea, 1970s © The Trustees of the British Museum
Tunic, tiputa, from Niue, Western Polynesia, 1860s © The Trustees of the British Museum
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