Kahu kurī (dog skin cloak)

item details

NameKahu kurī (dog skin cloak)

ProductionUnknown; weaver; 1750 / 1850; New Zealand

Classificationkahu kurī, cloaks

Materialsdogskin, muka (fibre), dog hair

Materials SummaryMuka (New Zealand flax fibre), dog skin and dog hair

Techniquestwining, hand sewing, whatu aho pātahi, tanning

DimensionsApproximate: 1600mm (width), 110mm (height), 1240mm (length)

Registration NumberME002052

Credit lineSir Walter Buller Collection. Gift of W. Leo Buller, 1911

Overview

This kahu kurī was one of four dogskin cloaks collected by Sir Walter Bulller, who described them as "A specially valuable collection of Māori garments - two of the dogskin cloaks in a perfect state of preservation". One of these kahu kurī is associated with the prominent Northland chief Te Tirarau Kūkupa (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Rāhiri, Ngāti Tāhuhu, Ngāti Whātua) of Whangārei. Unfortunately, because of confusion at the time of accession of Buller's collection into the Colonial Museum, it is now uncertain which cloak formerly belonged to Tirarau.

Kahu Kurī
Kahu kurī (dog skin cloaks) are made of strips of dog skin with hair attached taken from the kurī (Māori dog). These strips which vary in length, are arranged by colour and sewn ontothe kaupapa (foundation) of the cloak with fine bone needles. The foundation of kahu kurī are woven from muka (New Zealand flax fibre) using a technique called pauku or pukupuku. The pukupuku weaving technique uses the whatu aho pātahi (single-pair weft twining) in close succession to form a thick and heavy protective garment. The awe (dog-hair tassels) that fringe the outside length of some kahu kurī, are taken from the underside of the dog's tail and are similar to the circlet of dog-hair tassels that adorn the necks of taiaha. The ruffled kurupatu (dog-hair collars) are entirely separate to the kaupapa of the cloak and are made by threading separate strips together to make a length of collar that is sewn onto the neck of the finished garment.

Prestigious garments
Kahu kurī are prestigious garments possessing great mana (prestige) and were highly-prized heirlooms. Each garment possessed its own personal name and its history was carefully preserved right up to the time it passed out of Māori ownership. Sadly, most now remain anonymous in museum collections around the world. The possession of a kahu kurī immediately identified the owner as a rangatira - someone of prestige and position within the hapu (sub-tribe) or iwi (tribe). These garments were often exchanged between people of rank in recognition of important ceremonial occasions and affirmed the mana of both the giver and the recipient.

Types and variations
There are several different varieties of kahu kurī and some tribal variation in the application of the descriptive terms of these types. Some of the types recorded include tōpuni, ihupuni, awarua, kahuwaero, mahiti, and puahi. However, the construction technique remains essentially the same.