Re:Maori Weaving (was Phormiums)
William Bade wrote:
>
> Docents leading tours at UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley, California were
> taught the method Native Californians used the Pacific Coast iris leaves
> for textiles, mainly netting. When I was elected to take a New Zealand
> family with two young children around the Garden, we naturally stopped at
> all the plants the Native Californians used, including the Pacific Coast
> iris. I started to demonstrate the California method, and handed some
> leaves to the children. They were more skilled than I was! (I had
> practiced a lot). Then they laughed and told me that they had been taught
> the Maori method (just the same as the California method) in school at
> home.
Elly
There has been a great revival in Maori weaving over the last few years
and several women have become masters of their craft. In olden times
they certainly wove fish traps, but I am not sure about nets. Any modern
youngster who has learned Maori crafts could probably quickly weave a
simple kete (basket) out of green leaves, but the real craftswomen can
extract the fibres and use them to produce fine textiles. The summit of
their craft would be the weaving of ceremonial feather cloaks (on a flax
base), which are worn by important people on grand occasions and
presented to distinguished visitors (male or female)like heads of state.
Queen Elizabeth has a magnificent one she wears on ceremonial occasions
when she visits here.
The really superior cloaks are completely covered with feathers, but
simple ones may just have some arranged in patterns. Ancient examples
were made with actual kiwi feathers, but these birds are now far too
rare for this to be allowed any more.
Before the Europeans introduced other textiles, plain unadorned flax
cloaks would have been everyday wear for Maoris, but of course are no
longer used for this purpose.
The other way flax weaving is used is in Tuktuku work. This is the
weaving of decorative wall panels for Meeting Houses (and occasionally
for churches in Maori villages). The designs are usually just in two
colours, the natural pale cream colour of the dried fibre plus a sort of
grey-brown. Most of the very stylised patterns used have spiritual
significance.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
