Visit Bada Valley (29 Sep – 1 Oct, 2019)
We visited Bada Valley in Central Sulawesi Province, 29 September to1 October 2019, with Dr. Isamu Sakamoto, a specialist of paper making technique. This time we wanted to see current situation about barkcloth or paper/cloth made from tree skin in Bada.
Barkcloth making technique in Bada and its surrounding areas have been kept since about 3,000 years ago until now, even if its technique succession might be more difficult after modernization drive became stronger with easier transportation access. It took about 10 hours from Tentena to Bada with jeep when we visited here in 1991, and now only 2 hours by Avanza.
We got many impressive information and many new questions about barkcloth. In a word, barkcloth here is very important as its existence since 3,000 years ago only in this area in the world, and as a theme to elucidate cultural diffusion from South Pacific to East Asia via Southeast Asia because its material tree was the same in Bada, South Pacific, Taiwan and Japan. Very exciting on barkcloth in Central Sulawesi.
