barktyg, tapa

Provenance:

Donated in 1838 by the Swedish naval officer Carl August Gosselman (1799–1843). The precise origins of this barkcloth remain unclear. Early museum records linked it to South America, possibly Colombia or Ecuador. Later assessments suggested it might instead come from the Pacific, perhaps the Society Islands. Barkcloth-making traditions existed in various parts of the world, including the Pacific and different regions of the Americas. Since the inner bark (bast) is beaten until the fibers break and flatten, scientific analysis cannot easily identify the plant species used. Additionally, the cloth is undecorated, which means that stylistic comparison does not provide any decisive clues. Nevertheless, the fine rectilinear lines visible through the cloth’s translucence closely resemble those found in barkcloths from the Society Islands and the Marquesas. Such markings result from the use of carved tapa beaters and may indeed point toward a Polynesian origin.

Gosselman’s published journals and letters contain no mentions of acquiring barkcloths. They also do not indicate that he ever travelled to the Pacific. His documented voyages took place within the Atlantic and the Americas. If this barkcloth originated in the Pacific, its presence in Gosselman’s collection can still be explained. His journeys included stops in major port cities such as Valparaíso, Rio de Janeiro, New York, and London. These ports served as global hubs where sailors could trade, buy, and exchange objects. It is therefore possible that Gosselman acquired the barkcloth indirectly through such transfers rather than at its actual place of production. (Héloise Dazard 2025).