Object of the Month: March 2022

Chosen by: Reggie Meredith, Samoan barkcloth practitioner

Collection: Textile

Object Name:

Face Mask

Made by Reggie Meredith, Barkcloth, 2020

Gift of Reggie Meredith as part of University of Glasgow Barkcloth project

 

 

Face mask made by Reggie Meredith in barkcloth, produced from the mulberry trees grown in the land around her home in Samoa. Siapo is the Samoan name for barkcloth, the thick paper like material formed from beaten bark.

The mask is hand painted with patterns from ancestral Samoan designs such as birds in flight and native plants. It was donated to the museum as part of a project led by Glasgow University to further the understanding of Pacific barkcloth and is one of a limited edition of 60 produced in response to the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.

The Object of the Month can be seen in person throughout March at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.