Painting Item Number: 3527/27 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Rectangular piece of barkcloth with diamond-like grids painted across surface; done in black. Grid on top half of painting alternates between diamond-like shapes decorated with lines and ones with stars in their centres. Grid on bottom half of painting has a mix of plain diamond-like shapes and others decorated with small trident-like shapes in their centres. 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.