Shifting Patterns Barkcloth of the Pacifi c In the islands of the Pacifi c, barkcloth is a distinctive 76 art tradition that unites the region, and the patterns that decorate the cloth refl ect the diverse histories of individual island groups. Designs can be traced back thousands of years and range from starkly geometric patterns, such as those produced in Fiji, to interpretations of the supernatural as embodied by depictions of spirit-beings in Vanuatu. An exhibition recently at the British Museum titled Shifting Patterns: Pacifi c Barkcloth Clothing presented seventy-seven objects, including garments, masks, headdresses, and body adornment, all drawn from the museum’s extensive Pacifi c collection. The fi rst exhibition at the institution to focus solely on barkcloth, it traced the history of Pacifi c Islanders’ selfpresentation through this key textile tradition. While this was a substantial exhibition that attracted more than 500,000 visitors, it had no catalog and construction at the museum made fi nding the galleries in which it was installed challenging, so this article is presented to further document the show and to present the extraordinary material of which it was composed to those who may not have had the opportunity to see it. Plant textiles were very important in the tropical environments of the Pacifi c, where there were, until contact with the wider world, very few land animals that could be used as a source of skin and fur. Pacifi c textiles are made from plaited leaf, woven plant fi bers, and beaten bark—barkcloth. Clothing and a wide variety of other items were made from these materials. Though its use spanned the Pacifi c and it occurred in a variety of forms, the basic method of producing barkcloth is consistent. Bark is fi rst removed from the tree and the white inner bark is carefully separated from the rough outer bark, which is discarded. It is softened by soaking in water and then beaten to spread the fi bers. This process is repeated until a sheet of cloth of the desired size and quality is made. This can be coarse or soft, depending on the tree species used and the degree to which the bark has been beaten. Patterns may be applied in different forms—as a textural impression on newly made cloth, as a painted surface design, or as rows of decorative pendants sewn to the garment. Glazes, oils, and perfumes contribute to the overall sensory effect of the fi nished artwork. The anteroom of the exhibition presented the extraordinary range of techniques used to decorate barkcloth, and the tools used in its production, including a whalebone beater from Pitcairn Island (fi g. 3) and delicate stamps from Hawaii. Although worn as everyday clothing, elaborate barkcloth ensembles were and continue to be made for important transitions from one life stage to another. The arrival of missionaries in the Pacifi c in the late 1700s had a signifi cant impact on barkcloth design, with Tahitian style tunics being adopted to cover up the body in a number of island groups. Today garments such as designer wedding dresses demonstrate the ongoing relevance of barkcloth to Pacifi c Islanders. Shifting Patterns sought to encompass the diversity of Pacifi c barkcloth ART on view By Natasha McKinney FIG. 1 (above): Waist garment, tepi. Futuna, Territory of Wallis and Futuna. 1930–1935. Barkcloth, pigment. 188 x 145 cm. British Museum, inv. Oc1935,0712.3. Donated by R. F. Kingerley, 1935. © The Trustees of the British Museum. FIG. 2 (above right): Entry to the exhibition. Photo: N. McKinney.
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