Clothing

Bark Cloth

A large, yellow, rectangular pa’u hula (dance skirt) made of the inner bark of a tree. The pa’u is made of five layers of bark cloth (kapa) fastened together on one side. A square has been removed from one corner of the bark cloth. A patterned bark beater with a pepehi halua (deep grooves with wide ridges rounded like an inverted U) motif was used in its production, leaving visible markings in the cloth. The surface decoration is multiple bands of black geometric decorations. The designs were created with bamboo stamps (‘ohe kāpala).

Kapa cloth is produced from the inner bark of a tree, typically wauke (paper mulberry), which is cultivated, harvested, and processed through soaking, scraping, fermenting, and repeated beating to form and refine the cloth. Patterned beaters may be used during production to create watermarks that can reflect regional styles or maker affiliations. After drying, the cloth is decorated using natural dyes and bamboo implements.

Paʻu are skirts worn by women, typically constructed from bark cloth. They are generally long garments, worn by wrapping a single length of bark cloth multiple times around the body. Paʻu hula are skirts worn by dancers when performing the hula dance.