barkcloth beater (beater)
Francis Godolphin Bond (1765-1839)Descriptions
Originally acquired by 1st Lieutenant Francis Godolphin Bond on the HMS Providence in 1792. Bond donated this item to the Devon and Exeter Institution in 1815, of which he was a proprietor. The Devon & Exeter Institution presented this beater to the Albert Memorial Museum in January 1872.
For beating the inner bark of the paper mulberry tree to make barkcloth. Length = 340mm.
Anne D’Alleva, 1994
“Of rectangular section, with flared butt, the working and carved with two arcs, their apices toward the centre. Three of the four working faces with incised, parallel grooves: 7, 11, 3 grooves/cm. The fourth face with an incised grid, 4 grooves/cm lengthwise, and 5 grooves/cm widthwise. The grid is an unusual feature for a Tahitian beater.”
This object is not on display.
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