Kahu waero (dog hair tassel cloak)

This kahu waro was woven by Te Wharetoroa Tiniraupeka (Ngāti Tunohopu, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa).

Te Wharetoroa was born in August 1863 at Tarawera, Rotorua region. She was a survivor of the Tarawera eruption 10 June 1886 (see Neich "Carved Histories" 2001:34). Te Wharetoroa was recorded by her grandneice Mrs Hilda Inia, to have lived her adult life between Ohinemutu, Waikuta and Wainui, Whakatane. She died in 1964 aged 101, and is buried at Wainui, Whakatane. Te Wharetoroa was a strong minded business woman and devout follower of the Ringatu faith. She was recorded to have known Te Kooti personally (Neich 2001:34). Te Wharetoroa had a meeting house built called "Tiki", at Ohinemutu for Ringatu services, which was carved by Tene Waitere in 1913.

It is not known when Te Wharetoroa wove the cloak, but she was known to have had a collection of taonga and operated a "curio shop". She wove and also carved small items according to Hilda Inia. The cloak was dyed at Waikuta where she had her home named "Te Kurī". The cloak was stolen from her home c1909 and was later discovered on display in the Dominion Museum by Te Wharetoroa and George Graham (her partner at the time) in 1921. Te Wharetoroa writes to the Acting Director, J.W McDonald on the 30 October, 1921 to identify herself as the weaver and the fact that it was stolen some 12 years before with other taonga. The cloak was in keeping as a memory of her mother. George Graham also wrote letters in support of Te Wharetoroa. Eventually it was returned after correspondence over a period of 6 months. The cloak was sent to George Graham in Auckland. It was later deposited in the Auckland Museum under the Hori Montrose Graham Collection between 1927-30. It is not known what happened between Te Wharetoroa and Graham, but the collection was signed out by his written authority between 1941 and 1946 through his daughter Mrs Beatrice Mika and grand-daughter Miss Josephine Mika. Some items were exchanged as well. The cloak was withdrawn from the Auckland Museum on the 17th September, 1946. The cloak was never returned to Te Wharetoroa, dispite her lawyers making inquiries at the Auckland Museum in 1952. George Graham died on 11 April 1952. The cloak was sold to the Wellington jeweller Miet at some point, then sold by Dunbar Sloane Auction to the National Museum, 19th September, 1991.

The body of the cloak is weft twined in double pair twining with regularly spaced dog-hair tassels. It has been dyed using the traditional paru method, after weaving. This can be clearly observed under tassel number 5, proper right of row 2. The tassels of dog-hair are created by shaving the hair from the tail. Bundles of hair were then bound with fine undyed muka in a series of buttonhole stitches used to create the head of the tassel. Tassels were then stitched to the kaupapa of the cloak with undyed muka. The lower edge is left unworked, indicating that a probable taniko border has been cut off.

Neich, Roger, "Carved Histories:Rotorua Ngāti Tarawhai Woodcarving", 2001, published by Auckland University Press; Auckland.