Plant

Barkcloth

A sheet formed from prepared inner bark, usually by beating and joining rather than conventional spinning and weaving..

Reviewed 2026-09-22. Evidence level: verified. Open the interactive profile.

Key figures

Main Pacific source plant
Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry)
Ugandan source plant
Ficus natalensis
Pacific introduction
from Taiwan, within roughly the last 5,000 years
Structure
beaten, felted nonwoven sheet; no yarns

Approximate values under the stated conditions.

Overview

A sheet formed from prepared inner bark, usually by beating and joining rather than conventional spinning and weaving.

Feel and behavior

Supple or papery depending on preparation.

Where you find it

Ceremonial cloth, clothing traditions and art.

Source and geography

Barkcloth is a nonwoven sheet made from the inner bark (phloem) of trees in the mulberry family (Moraceae) and related plants. In the Pacific the main source is paper mulberry, Broussonetia papyrifera, a dioecious East Asian tree carried into Oceania as a clonally propagated crop; other species, including some endemic to Hawaii and New Zealand, were also used. In Uganda, traditional bark cloth is made from Ficus natalensis. Pacific names include tapa, siapo (Samoa) and kapa (Hawaii).

Advantages

  • Barkcloth comes from renewable inner bark, and Ugandan mutuba trees regrow bark after harvest when protected.
  • It is light and can be made into very large sheets by joining pieces.
  • It carries living cultural knowledge in Pacific and Ugandan communities.
  • Its plant and mineral colorants can be identified scientifically, which supports conservation of historic pieces.

Drawbacks

  • It has low wet strength and cannot be laundered like woven cloth.
  • It becomes brittle in dry air and grows mold in damp conditions.
  • Old folds can crack and tear aged cloth.
  • Provenance and cultural-property issues complicate buying historic pieces.

Worth knowing

  • Ugandan barkcloth makers wrap the stripped mutuba trunk in green banana leaves so that it regrows its bark in about a year.
  • UNESCO proclaimed barkcloth making in Uganda a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005.

Types, grades and fabrics

Types and grades

Barkcloth is grouped by source tree, region and finish. Pacific tapa is made mostly from paper mulberry, Broussonetia papyrifera, with regional traditions such as Samoan siapo and Hawaiian kapa that differ in beating, joining of layers and decoration by rubbing, stamping, stenciling or freehand painting. Ugandan barkcloth, called olubugo or lubugo in Buganda, comes from the mutuba tree, Ficus natalensis. Colors range from pale cream to deep reddish brown depending on species, processing and dyes. Market forms include heritage cloths, contemporary art cloths, souvenirs and modern barkcloth panels for fashion and interiors. Separately, vintage barkcloth also names a textured woven cotton furnishing fabric that contains no bark.

Fabrics and products

Barkcloth is a nonwoven sheet rather than a fabric woven from yarns. In the Pacific it is made into ceremonial and presentation cloths, gifts, clothing and wall hangings, with large pieces built up by pasting or felting sheets together. In Buganda, barkcloth is central to ceremonies, and the Kabaka, the king, wears it during coronation rituals. Contemporary Ugandan designers have brought barkcloth into fashion and accessories, sometimes backing it with fabric for strength. Tapa is also made today as art for sale and display.

Buying and care

How to judge quality

For heritage or art pieces, ask about the maker, community, date and provenance, including export permits where the country of origin regulates cultural property; museums increasingly consult source communities before acquiring. Good barkcloth has even thickness without thin spots or holes, a supple rather than brittle texture, and firm joins where sheets are pasted or felted. Painted designs should be crisp and stable, not flaking. Beware of imitations: printed paper, nonwoven synthetics and cotton fabrics are sold as tapa or barkcloth. Real barkcloth shows a felted network with beater marks and no yarns when viewed in raking light.

Care in detail

Barkcloth is not washed. Dust it lightly with a soft brush, or vacuum on low suction through a protective screen. Keep it out of direct sun and strong light, which fade colorants and weaken fibers. Keep relative humidity stable and moderate: damp air invites mold, and very dry air makes barkcloth brittle; conservation guides commonly treat about 65 percent RH as the level above which mold becomes likely. Store flat, or rolled on a wide padded tube with acid-free tissue, rather than folded, since old fold lines crack; if a large cloth must be folded, pad the folds generously. Handle with clean, dry hands and support the full weight. Check for insects, and consult a conservator about tears, stains or flaking paint.

Care at a glance

Follow the complete product’s care label. Blends, dyes, finishes and construction can change suitable washing, drying and storage.

Environmental and social footprint

Barkcloth production is low input: bark is stripped by hand, beaten with wooden tools and colored with plant and mineral colorants. In Buganda, bark is harvested from Ficus natalensis during the two rainy seasons, and the trunk is wrapped in green banana leaves so that it heals and regrows bark in about a year, allowing repeated harvests from the same tree. The social dimension is significant. UNESCO proclaimed barkcloth making in Uganda a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005, and craftsmen of the Ngonge clan, led by a hereditary chief craftsman, have long made barkcloth for the Buganda royal family. Modern laminates or synthetic backings can reduce the biodegradability of contemporary products.

Tradeoffs

Origin, processing inputs, labor, product construction and useful lifetime all need specific evidence. The name alone does not establish responsible production.

A useful question to ask: What exact material, product form and documented producer stand behind this name?

Science

Cellulose-rich plant material

Seed, stem, leaf or other plant structure. Extraction and preparation vary.

Structure and chemistry

Barkcloth consists of long phloem fibers and their surrounding tissue, felted and interlocked by beating rather than spun or woven. The fibers are cellulosic with modest lignin; paper mulberry has a high ratio of syringyl to guaiacyl lignin units, which is thought to aid pulping and beating. Beating spreads and thins the bast into a sheet whose fibers run in overlapping directions, and separate pieces can be joined into larger cloths. The result is a paper-like material whose strength and drape depend on bark quality and beating.

From source to yarn

In Oceania, paper mulberry is grown as coppiced shoots that are harvested before flowering. The bark is removed from the stems and the inner bast is separated from the outer bark, soaked and beaten with wooden beaters until it spreads into a thin, wide sheet. Beaten pieces are dried and joined into larger cloths, which are then decorated by painting, printing or dyeing with plant colorants and mineral pigments. Methods, tools and designs differ among island groups. In Uganda, bark cloth from Ficus natalensis is still made by traditional methods, and the finished cloth has been studied for possible wound-care uses.

Performance in use

Barkcloth is light and can be supple or papery, but like paper it has limited wet strength and abrasion resistance, so it is not laundered like woven cloth. Museum pieces need controlled humidity and protection from light, insects and mold. Pacific colorants identified on historic cloths include noni (morindin and morindone), turmeric, tree tannins and iron oxide, while mati red in Tahiti combines Cordia subcordata leaves and Ficus tinctoria fruits. Ugandan Ficus bark cloth has shown antimicrobial activity against MRSA in laboratory tests.

How it is identified

Burn tests are indicative only and inappropriate for heritage objects. Barkcloth is recognized by its nonwoven, felted structure with visible beater marks and no yarns. Species identification of historic tapa has used DNA: nuclear ITS-1, microsatellites and chloroplast markers such as the trnL P6 loop, the last usually resolving only to genus. HPLC and portable XRF identify dyes and pigments. Modern imitations may be printed paper or nonwoven synthetics.

History

Timeline

  1. Within the last c. 5,000 yearsPacific paper mulberry, the main barkcloth plant, was carried from Taiwan by Austronesian-speaking voyagers, according to phylogeographic evidence. [1]
  2. 18th to 19th centuriesWestern explorers collected many decorated Pacific barkcloths, now used for dye and DNA studies. [2]
  3. 2005UNESCO proclaimed barkcloth making in Uganda a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. [3]
  4. 2019A study characterized colorants used on Pacific barkcloths. [4]
  5. 2024Dyes from Tahitian plants, including mati red, were identified in historical barkcloth. [5]

Pacific barkcloth traditions, including Samoan siapo, carry living cultural knowledge. Their histories should be connected to particular communities, not reduced to a single global origin.

The deeper record

Genetic studies show that Pacific paper mulberry descends mainly from female clones introduced from Taiwan by Austronesian-speaking voyagers over roughly the last 5,000 years, supporting the out of Taiwan model; nearly all Pacific plants are female except in Hawaii, where male plants are thought to reflect a later introduction by Japanese or Chinese immigrants. Barkcloth is described as a practical and symbolic component of Austronesian cultures, and Western explorers collected many decorated cloths in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which now allow dye and DNA studies. Samoan siapo remains a living tradition, as does Ugandan bark cloth.

Labeling and law

Barkcloth is not a textile fiber under the generic-name lists: Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 has no Annex I name for bark fibers, and US Textile Fiber Products Identification Act rules (16 CFR Part 303) were written around fibers and yarns, so how a given barkcloth product is labeled should be checked case by case. More important are cultural and legal issues: objects may be subject to cultural heritage export laws of the country of origin, and museums increasingly work with source communities on provenance.

This describes what rules and standards cover. It is not legal advice; jurisdiction, product form and current rule text control.

Frequently asked

Can barkcloth be washed?

No. Barkcloth is a beaten sheet of inner bark with limited wet strength, and water can soften it, distort it, move dyes and encourage mold. Dust it gently instead, and consult a textile or paper conservator about stains or damage on valuable or historic pieces.

Is vintage barkcloth fabric made from bark?

Usually not. In vintage furnishings, barkcloth names a textured woven cotton fabric, often printed, that imitates the rough surface of beaten bark. True barkcloth, such as Pacific tapa or Ugandan olubugo, is a nonwoven sheet beaten from inner bark and contains no yarns.

How should I store a tapa cloth?

Store it flat or rolled on a wide, padded tube interleaved with acid-free tissue, in a dark place with stable, moderate humidity. Avoid new sharp folds, since old fold lines crack, and keep it away from damp walls, insects and direct sun. The University of Glasgow's tapa project publishes care guidelines.

What is Ugandan barkcloth?

Olubugo is barkcloth from the mutuba tree, Ficus natalensis, made by the Baganda of Uganda. Bark is harvested in the rainy seasons and the trunk is wrapped in banana leaves to regrow. UNESCO recognized barkcloth making in Uganda in 2005, and the Kabaka wears it in coronation rituals.

Sources

Cite this page

Chaos. (2026). Barkcloth. In Fibers of Earth: An independent textile atlas. https://www.hendrickresearch.com/fibers/materials/barkcloth/