Large sheet of cloth - Specimen details
| Catalogue Number: 43292 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Plant Name | 153.05 MORACEAE Ficus sp | Entry Book Number | 105.1891 | |
| Artefact Name | Large sheet of cloth | Vernacular Name | |||
| Iso Country | Uganda | TDWG Region | Uganda | ||
| Parts Held | Large sheet of cloth | Geography Description | Uganda, Africa, East_Tropical_Africa | ||
| Uses | Large sheet of clothUse: MATERIALS - Fibres User: Man | TDWG use | MATERIALS - Fibres | ||
| Storage | Bottles, boxes etc | Related Items | |||
| Donor | Kirk Sir J | Donor No | |||
| Donor Date | 20/08/1891 | Donor Notes | |||
| Collector | Collector No | ||||
| Collection Notes | Collection Date | ||||
| Exhibition | Expedition | ||||
| Number Components | Publication | ||||
| Notes: | Letter from John Kirk to Director, Nov 4, 1892. Wavertree, Sevenoaks. Remembering your enquiry about the Uganda bark cloth, a fine specimen of which I gave you for your Museum, I asked Capt Lugard if he was satisfied that the bark cloth used in Nyassa wa, s obtained as he had stated froma species of Ficus. Capt. Lugard who although an intelligent observer is not a botanist, I therefore questioned him about the tree that yields the bark cloth in order to draw my own conclusions, the result is I think there, can be no doubt that the cloth in extensive use in Uganda comes froma Ficus. The tree is cut in lengths and stuck in the ground in any way, it is used for stockades as it takes root at once, it will grow if put in with the top of the branch in the earth, and if bent and both ends placed in the ground both will root. The trees so planted attain one foot to eighteen inches diameter, the bark of these is stripped off in a sheet, this is hammered by men whose business it is to make bark cloth, the sheet ofb, ark throught hammering with fluted hammers which gives it the corded appearance is extended enormously in length and width so that a piece such as I gave you comes from a comparatively small tree. After some years the bark is reproduced and the same tree, can be again stripped. There is another Ficus that yields also a bark cloth but this tree grows large and dies after being stripped. There seems then to be no connection between the Nyassa bark cloth, the produce of Brachystegia and that of Uganda whic, h is a very superior article in every way and the produce of quite another tree. I tell you all of this as I had it from Capt Lugard. John Kirk. | ||||