The Ballarat art gallery is showing an exhibition of Tapa cloth from the Pacific. The exhibition comes from Queensland which has some very old pieces of tapa cloth - with the permission of the relevant communities. The tapa in the exhibition comes from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Niugini and I think also Vanuatu, and some is made by families living in Australia.
A collection of the traditional tools and materials accompanied the various cloths.
I have a few treasured bits of tapa rescued from Op shops and now I know that my piece (above) comes from Fiji.
The tapa reminds me of the tea tray cloths I also find in Op shops. A shared idea of honouring a guest or occasion by covering an everyday object with a beautiful cloth.
The fragment of lace I found last week harmonises well with the tapa.
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