Kato laufa (bag)

This kato laufa (basket) was made by Niuean weaver Eseta Patii, in Wellington, New Zealand in the 1990s. It is made of flax woven in a horizontal twill weave with a 20 millimetre-wide plaited edge. The flax handles extend through to the flat base for support.

Adapt and innovate
People take their cultures with them wherever they travel. In New Zealand, skilled practitioners from various Pacific communities continue to pass on customary arts such as weaving and basket-making. Pacific weavers in New Zealand apply their knowledge to working with local materials, such as flax, raffia, and synthetic tubing. The weavers' ability to adapt and innovate is evident in their use of new materials, creation of new forms, and the new uses they find for the items they create.

Weaving groups
Pacific weavers in New Zealand often work in groups. These groups are like fibres, connecting different generations back to their island homelands. They provide a setting where people can share knowledge and interact in their own language. Weaving can be also a way to earn money, but, perhaps more importantly, it can build a sense of cultural connection and pride, especially for Pacific people born in New Zealand.

This kato laufa is one of a collection of items acquired from Mrs Moka Taufoou Sipeli in 1997.