Painting Item Number: 3527/23 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Rectangular piece of barkcloth with abstract geometric designs painted across surface; done in black. Design consists of bands with irregularly-shaped diamonds; negative space between diamonds and edges of bands are filled with diagonal and horizontal lines. Top and bottom bands have plain lines cutting through the middle; top band has three lines, bottom has two. 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.