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need help with the proper way to handle a tapa cloth. large 32x48 lots of damage...duct tape across one end on back...pieced in place with scotch tape to cover a hole on back....one edge very ratty, torn loose bits hanging off...several snagged tares in the center. Client dosen't mind trimming the cloth to get rid of the duct tape but wanted ideas before I do any thing to it. Thanks

[I have split this post to start a new topic - Administrator]

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"It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness" - Confucius
My flash drive:

Tapa cloth is more similar to paper than woven cloth, so looking for methods for conserving damaged paper artifacts (old maps etc) might be helpful.

There is a very fine book on conservation of paper materials for museums and it has a small chapter on tapa cloth. I did not react quickly enough and buy it at the time it was available and when I returned to remedy this it was,of course, gone. I can't help with the title but a creative google might turn it up. The previous "repair" sounds horrible, good luck and keep to the mantra of only using other tapa to repair tapa.

I have posted some info on the Books section of the forum about an on-line catalogue 'Paperskin: Barkcloth across the Pacific' from the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane. This will not help with the current problem/question but may be of more general interest re tapa

http://www.tribaltextiles.info/communit ... php?t=1589

Perhaps if more museums/art galleries were prepared to do this Jim's problem of the 'one that got away' might not happen!

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Pamela

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