About this item
- Title
- Ngatu (tapa cloth)
- Content partner
- Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
- Collection
- Te Papa Collections Online
- Description
Ngatu is the Tongan name given to tapa cloth or decorated bark cloth. It is made from the inner bark of Hiapo (paper mulberry tree). The pieces of bark are beaten with a mallet, widened and joined together to make larger pieces of cloth. Groups of women work together to decorate the cloth with natural dyes and pigments. Ngatu are often decorated with motifs and patterns taken from the natural environment or associated with important people and events. Some of the events may be small and very...
- Format
- Image
- Date created
- circa 1940s
- URL
- https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/83327
- Related subjects
- Fighter planes / bark cloth / dye / textiles / Rites & ceremonies / Polynesian / Oceanic / Tongan / world wars / Tonga
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All Rights Reserved
This item is all rights reserved, which means you'll have to get permission from Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa before using it.

More Information
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All Rights Reserved
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You may not use this item commercially.
What can I do with this item?
Check copyright status and what you can do with this item
Check informationReport this item
If you believe this item breaches our terms of use please report this item
Report this itemDigitalNZ brings together more than 30 million items from institutions so that they are easy to find and use. This information is the best information we could find on this item. This item was added on 20 April 2012, and updated 15 May 2025.
Learn more about how we work.
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