Bark Cloth Beater, Cook Islands

Inscribed in white ink by James Hooper: 'Cook Islands. Hooper Coll. N^o 969F.'

Reportedly from an old collection brought from Australia to England before 1900
Bates, Hampton Court, London
James Hooper, Arundel, acquired from the above in 1932
Christie's, London, Melanesian and Polynesian Art from the James Hooper Collection, June 19, 1979, lot 141
Lynda Cunningham, New York, acquired at the above auction

Steven Phelps, Art and Artefacts of the Pacific, Africa and the Americas: the James Hooper Collection, London, 1976, p. 140, pl. 76, no. 601

Very good condition for an object of this type and age. Minor marks, nicks, scratches, and abrasions consistent with age and use. Hairline age cracks and some very small chips and losses to head. Exceptionally fine glossy dark brown patina.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the Cook Islands, as in many other cultures and regions of Polynesia, barkcloth (known as anga in the Cook Islands) was a highly versatile and flexible material that served a range of purposes. The material allowed islanders to produce everything from articles of clothing, such as loincloths and skirts, to the structural components of buildings. With ritual ceremonies, too, barkcloth was the basis of masks and of the supplementary adornments on religious carvings. To manufacture this textile, communities would enlist women, at times up to a few hundred at once, to strip bark from the paper mulberry plant and pound the fibers with beaters such as this one. Overseen by the chiefs’ wives, these women cultivated these skills over time, and their hard labor was well regarded. Barkcloth production declined rapidly, however, shortly after Europeans made contact with the islands of Polynesia and attempted to introduce woven cotton fabric to the native populations.