Painting Item Number: 3527/13 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Rectangular piece of barkcloth with various abstract designs painted across surface; done in black. Top half of painting has twisted ladder-like motifs across width; bottom half of painting is divided into two vertical sections. Left section has columns with inverted triangles and hourglass-like shapes; both shapes are either plain black or decorated with diagonal lines. Right section consists of a grid filled with mixed curved and diagonal lines. Sections are divided by two columns; left column is plain and right column is decorated with horizontal bands. Back of barkcloth is undecorated.
The barkcloth is made by men, beating a layer of tree bark until it is thin and pliable. Women paint the designs, which are often symbolic of their forested surroundings, using a mixture of charcoal and natural plant dyes.