The Fabric of Life

The National Museum of Scotland has a collection of over 140 barkcloths (material made by peeling and beating the inner bark from trees in the mulberry or fig family) from the Pacific region, some of which were collected during the voyages of Captain James Cook (d. 1779).



They display a fascinating array of textures, colours and designs and they highlight how closely Scotland was connected with other parts of the world in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.







This book is the result of a collaborative project, led by Dr Antje Denner and involving institutions worldwide, investigating the history of barkcloths and their significance to contemporary artists in Oceania