The Last of the Bemba Bark Cloth Makers

Read about the The Last of the Bemba Bark Cloth Makers research project.

Bark fibre was, until the early 20th century, the traditional material for making clothing and containers among communities in the woodlands of northern Zambia. Commercial textiles and plastics containers led to the dramatic decline in bark-cloth production. 

At the start of this study, only three men retained the knowledge of this craft and in March 2024, the number fell to just two with the death of the eldest of the three, Mr John Mukopa. These craftsmen produce small quantities of coarse and fine bark-cloth, the former for daily use and the latter for ceremonial use. No detailed studies have been made of this endangered tradition.

With the support of the British Museum and funding by Arcadia a team of researchers from the Moto Moto Museum (Perrice Nkombwe, Peter Chitungu, Stephen Mwila) and the University of Liverpool (Larry Barham) made an audio-visual archive of the working methods of these craftsmen.

We recorded information on how they learned their craft, as well as their perceptions of the social value of this traditional material. The archive will soon be available through the Endangered Material Knowledge Programme website.

Mr Peter Chanda in his bark cloth for everyday use:

The late Mr John Mukopa using a wood mallet to make strips of fine bark cloth by pounding the wet fibres against a log work surface: