Tapa: Pacific Histories in Cloth is a multi-authored book that draws on the collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, illustrating over two hundred tapa from 18 Pacific island nations, from Taiwan to Hawai'i. It explores the practices, meanings and histories of tapa across art, dress, culture and curation, placing artists and makers at its centre.

For centuries, Pacific communities have created tapa cloth from tropical tree bark, using it for mats, clothing, ceremony and art. The book examines the creative processes behind these traditions, alongside contemporary making, migration, conservation and curatorship.