Kaitaka (cloak)

Unfinished story

In the past, kaitaka (fine cloaks with taniko borders) were among the most prestigious garment for Maori, and they were also coveted by European collectors. They were painstakingly produced from the most lustrous muka (flax fibre), sometimes taking many months to complete. Most were unadorned except for the taniko – weft twined patterned geometric borders.

This kaitaka is unfinished, being short and lacking the taniko. Its weave, however, is exceptionally fine, with customary bark dyes along the sides.

Records state that James Cook collected the kaitaka in 1777, on his third Pacific voyage. But a journal entry from his first voyage, by surgeon William Monkhouse, suggests that he collected it 8 years earlier.