Object Details
- Label Text
- Cloths woven of tree bark attest to Malagasy weavers' extraordinary skills. In the past, women of the forested southeast, the Zafimaniry and eastern Betsileo, laboriously transform the inner bark of several species of trees into a fine, durable yarn. It was dyed with natural and chemical pigments and tightly woven into lustrous, colorful cloths used as ceremonial wear and to wrap the ancestors for burial.
- Spun bark cloth is still produced today in the region, especially for men's work shirts, though it is becoming quite rare. The process is quite laborious. The fibers are stripped from the inner bark of certain trees and boiled for hours several times. Then the fibers are scrubbed on a large rock by the river, dried in the sun, and split and knotted end-to-end. The fibers are then rolled on the thigh to provide twist and dyed with natural and chemical pigments. At this point, the spun bark fiber can be woven into cloth. It is usually beaten with a mallet to soften and add sheen.
- This particular sample of bark cloth was made with a tight weave and is minimally embellished, with two thin stripes running down the middle and one along each edge.
- Description
- Single panel tightly woven bark cloth, dark brown in color and with a slightly nubby texture. A thin brownish-purple stripe along each edge and two down the center are the only decorative elements on this cloth. Loose, unknotted fringe at either end.
- Provenance
- Purchased from Mr. Zafitsara, Madagascar, 2000
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Mrs. Zafitsara
- Zafimaniry artist
- Date
- 2000
- Credit Line
- Museum purchase
- Medium
- Plant fiber, dye
- Dimensions
- H x W: 197.8 x 62.3 cm (77 7/8 x 24 1/2 in.)
- Type
- Textile and Fiber Arts
