A living tradition: Expanding engagement with Pacific barkcloth

活生生的传统：扩大与太平洋树皮布的接触

• 批准号: AH/S012435/1
• 负责人: Frances Lennard
• 金额: $ 9.58万
• 依托单位: University of Glasgow
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FS012435%2F1
• 关键词: living; tradition; Expanding; engagement; Pacific

Pacific barkcloth is a little known but fascinating, beautiful and meaningful material. Barkcloth is made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) and other plants, beaten to soften and expand it into a fabric. It was traditionally used for clothing, furnishings, ceremonial practice and all other 'textile' purposes in the Pacific islands until the 19th century. There are several significant collections of Pacific barkcloth in European, north American and Australasian museums, but there are also innumerable small museums and historic houses in the UK and around the world which contain barkcloth, from just one piece to a small collection, relics of Pacific travel by local 18th and 19th century explorers, scientists, missionaries and administrators. A recent project, Situating Pacific Barkcloth Production in Time and Place, brought together researchers from Pacific art history, materials science and conservation practice to investigate what a close study of barkcloth as a material can tell us. The project has given us new insights into the materials used to make barkcloth, including the introduction of new methods of identifying the plant fibre which was previously extremely challenging. We also now have, for example, a much better understanding of the effect of the different stages of manufacture on the properties of the finished cloth and how this varied across the Pacific.The project results make it possible to provide information in a more accessible form and we will hold five workshops in museums in England and Scotland to engage a wider audience with this fascinating material. The host museums have expert staff with specific collections knowledge and significant collections which will provide reference material for the workshops. The involvement of two practitioners from American Samoa will be vital to the workshops' success: Reggie Meredith Fitiao and Uilisone Fitiao have extensive experience of traditional and contemporary barkcloth making and design. Their involvement in the original project demonstrated the enormous value of working with people for whom this practice has a real, contemporary significance. They will lead the workshops, creating a dynamic link between objects in a museum display case and the living tradition of barkcloth making.The two-day events will cater for different audiences. On Day 1 curators from local and regional museums and historic houses who do not have specialist knowledge of barkcloth will participate in a workshop aimed at raising awareness of its significance, materials, manufacture, decoration, use and history. This will give them context to understand their own collections and the resources, skills and inspiration to make their barkcloth pieces accessible to their visitors and to use them as the basis for engaging activities. This will also encourage further displays of barkcloth, and a greater regional understanding of collections through the formation of networks of interested museum staff.On Day 2 the curators will be invited to take part in a workshop for the general public at the host museum. The workshops will include a demonstration of beating the inner bark, the opportunity to handle the raw materials and modern barkcloths and beaters and interactive activity replicating on paper some of the designs found on barkcloth using traditional methods of painting, stencilling, printing using bamboo sticks and leaves or rubbing over a raised design. Visitors will learn that the meaning of the designs is more complex and has greater significance than is at first apparent. This will encourage museums to broaden the range of their engagement activities beyond the core areas of natural history and European art, enabling adults and children to gain an understanding of the natural history, artistic skill and cultural significance of this probably novel material.

太平洋树皮布是一种鲜为人知的，但迷人的，美丽的和有意义的材料。树皮布是由纸桑葚（构）和其他植物的内部树皮，殴打软化和扩大成织物。直到19世纪世纪，它一直被用于服装、家具、仪式实践和太平洋岛屿的所有其他“纺织”用途。在欧洲、北美和澳大利亚的博物馆中有几个重要的太平洋树皮布收藏品，但在英国和世界各地也有无数的小型博物馆和历史悠久的房屋，其中包含树皮布，从一件到一个小的收藏品，是当地世纪探险家、科学家、传教士和管理者在太平洋旅行的遗物。最近的一个项目，定位太平洋树皮生产的时间和地点，汇集了来自太平洋艺术史，材料科学和保护实践的研究人员，调查树皮作为一种材料的仔细研究可以告诉我们什么。该项目使我们对用于制作树皮布的材料有了新的认识，包括引入了识别植物纤维的新方法，这在以前是极具挑战性的。例如，我们现在也更好地了解了不同制造阶段对成品布料性能的影响，以及这种影响在太平洋两岸的差异。该项目的结果使我们能够以更容易获得的形式提供信息，我们将在英格兰和苏格兰的博物馆举办五次研讨会，让更广泛的观众了解这种迷人的材料。主办博物馆拥有专家工作人员，他们具有具体的收藏知识和重要的收藏品，将为讲习班提供参考材料。来自美属萨摩亚的两名从业人员的参与对讲习班的成功至关重要：Reggie Meredith Fitiao和Uilisone Fitiao在传统和现代树皮布制作和设计方面具有丰富的经验。他们参与最初的项目证明了与这种做法具有真实的当代意义的人合作的巨大价值。他们将带领工作坊，在博物馆陈列柜中的物品与树皮布制作的活传统之间建立动态联系。为期两天的活动将满足不同观众的需求。在第一天，来自当地和地区博物馆以及历史悠久的房屋的策展人谁没有树皮的专业知识将参加一个研讨会，旨在提高其意义，材料，制造，装饰，使用和历史的认识。这将使他们了解自己的收藏和资源，技能和灵感，使他们的树皮布件访问他们的访客，并使用它们作为基础，从事活动。这也将鼓励更多的树皮布展览，并通过建立感兴趣的博物馆工作人员网络来更好地了解区域收藏。第二天，策展人将被邀请参加主办博物馆为公众举办的研讨会。研讨会将包括敲打内树皮的演示、处理原材料和现代树皮布和敲打器的机会，以及使用传统绘画、模版印刷等方法在纸上复制树皮布上的一些设计的互动活动。竹签和树叶或摩擦凸起的设计。参观者将了解到这些设计的意义比最初看起来更复杂，更有意义。这将鼓励博物馆扩大其参与活动的范围，超越自然历史和欧洲艺术的核心领域，使成人和儿童能够了解这种可能是新材料的自然历史，艺术技巧和文化意义。