Painting Item Number: 3527/17 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Square piece of barkcloth with abstract linear designs painted across surface; done in black. Painting is divided into eight horizontal sections; all are decorated with intersecting lines of varying widths. Sections are divided by plain lines and the natural fold of the barkcloth. 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.