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Culture, History & Language> Kapa and Tapa

ʻAwapuhi kuahiwi
Read how this one of the 24 Ancient Canoe Plants is used in the making of kapa.

Broussonetia papyrifera -- Wauke, or paper mulberry
See the actual plant from which kapa is made as grown on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Kapa Hawaii - The Art of Native Hawaiian Kapa
The purpose of this website is to help people learn more about the differences between the many types of Polynesian bark cloth collectively known as "tapa" with a special emphasis on the tapa or "kapa" made in the Hawaiian Islands(Hawaiian Bark Cloth or Hawaiian Kapa).

ʻOhiʻa ʻai
See how the dye from this one of the 24 Ancient Canoe Plants is used a dye to color kapa/tapa bark cloth.

Olona
See the how this one of the 24 Ancient Canoe Plants is used in kapa/tapa bark cloth.

"Puanani Making Kapa"
Thanks to Herb Kane a very nice picture of kapa being made by hand.

Tapa Figure
From the Peabody Museum, take a look at this figure made, in part, of tapa cloth.

Wauke - The Paper Mulberry Tree
One of the original 24 Ancient Canoe Plants wauke is the principle plant used in the making of kapa, tapa cloth. Kapa means the beaten thing.