Masi Kesa

Masi Kesa. A long and narrow rectangular piece of masi (bark cloth) beaten from Vuni Masi (Paper mulberry tree) with hand-stencilled designs applied to the surface of the masi in black and brown inks. A wide border of repeated geometric motifs is stencilled on this Masi Kesa along all four of its sides, with the feature design consisting of twenty square panels that each centre a large floral motif stencilled in dark ink against the square off-white background. Each square is bordered with a repeated paddle motif design. The wider sides of the masi are serrated, and one long side is fringed. Masi is produced from the inner bark of Vuni Masi which soaked in a papasia (large wooden bowl). It is then laid out on a duadua (long wooden anvil) and beaten with an ike (bark cloth beater) to produce the naturally off-white colour cloth. Layers are felted together to increase thickness and size of the masi.