Title / object name Kie Tau (fine mat)
| Maker | Date |
| Ko Fatu Paepae o Lower Hutt | circa 1991 |
Materials plant fibre, Pandanus leaf, synthetic fibre, packing material
| Dimensions |
| 2000 (Length) x 1510 (Width/Depth) mm |
Classification ceremonial objects, mats
Registration Number FE010246
Credit LinePurchased 1993 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds
Kie tau are a special type of fine mat that have an important ceremonial role in Tokelau society where they are worn and presented at weddings and used in burials. This kie tau was made in New Zealand by the Tokelau women of Ko Fatu Paepae o Lower Hutt - a Tokelau weaving group based in Lower Hutt.
Manufacture and design
The main body of this mat is made from heavily processed lau kie (pandanus leaf), with a border pattern and decorative motifs in lau hulu (brown pandanus). Both varieties of pandanus were imported to New Zealand from Tokelau. An interesting feature of this kie tau is the thick outer fringe made from synthetic material. It is very similar in appearance to the kanava bark fibre found in Tokelau, but it was actually obtained from packing case material from a car assembly plant in New Zealand.
Significance
Although the materials have changed from the customary ones, the effort invested in processing the material, weaving it together, and using it in a culturally significant way still contributes to the mat's value. Members of Ko Fatu Paepae o Lower Hutt who worked on the mat were Telesia Lino, Katalina Paselio, Maselina Pereira, Fetu Perez, Malia Sesale, Vito Koloi, Susana Koloi, Matalena Atonio, Valelia Lafaele, and Kolopa Isle.