Re: Maori Weaving (was Phormiums)
Barry Garcia wrote:
>
> theryans@xtra.co.nz writes:
> >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.
>
> In the Philippines, a very fine cloth is made in Aklan province using
> pineapple fiber that results in a very sheer, but strong cloth for Barong
> Tagalog (the national dress for men). These shirts are also finely
> embroidered as well. Pineapple fiber cloth is surprisingly (well to me)
> soft, and the cloth is see-through (usually a white t-shirt is worn under
> it).
Hi Barry
This fabric sounds lovely. Nothing produced from flax was ever as fine.
>
> > The summit of
> >their craft would be the weaving of ceremonial feather cloaks (on a flax
> >base),
> This reminds me of the red and yellow feathered cloaks royalty in Hawaii
> used to wear.
Indeed they are very similar. Our national museum has a couple of the
Hawaian ones, bur I don't know what they are based on - something other
than Phormium obviously. One thing our local weavers lacked was those
gloriously bright feathers. We have very few bright colours among our
birds and the prized Kiwi feathers, apart from looking more like hair
than proper plumage are a very drab mid-brown.
It is often contended from various clues that the Maori and the Hawaians
are quite closely related and the art of making feather cloaks certainly
seems to be a shared skill.
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
