Kaitaka (with Angora goat hair elements)

The outstanding features of this cloak are its crossover design and materials, which put it in a class of its own. The richly elaborate borders of tāniko (geometric patterning) and the rows of silken fur – now known to be mohair – are exceptional. The angora goat, the source of the mohair, was introduced to New Zealand in the 1860s, giving some indication of when the cloak may have been made.


Henry Hill Collection
This cloak was part of a collection of around 109 taonga that were acquired from Henry Hill between 1905 and 1909. Hill came to New Zealand in arounf 1873 from England, and spent much of his time in the Hawke's Bay area. Although it is not known where this cloak originated from, or its history, Hill's collection is regarded as representative of taonga from the East Coast of the North Island.


Construction
The kaupapa (foundation) is muka (New Zealand flax fibre), and unusually for a kaitaka, weft-twined in whatu aho patahi (single-pair weft twining). There are six whenu (warp threads) per centimetre, with 8 mm spacing between each aho (weft row). Another unusual feature is that the aho are twined in an anticlockwise direction with a Z-twist, rather than an S-twist in a clockwise direction. Further research will need to be undertaken to find out why.

The aho poka (shaping rows) are three sets of simple elliptical inserts: three rows, 40 mm from the bottom; four rows, 440 mm from the top; and four rows, 70 mm from the top.


Tāniko borders
The lower border of tāniko (geometric patterning) shows greater wear than its counterpart beneath. On close inspection of the reverse side, where the threads have come away, one can see the passive aho used for keeping consistent tension. These tensioning strands are fine two-ply natural muka that have undergone miro, or hand-plying.

An ornamental two-ply wool twist in pink and purple delineates the two lower taniko borders. The edge of the taniko also has an ornamental twist worked in with the finishing aho, as does the taniko around the top of the cloak, which features the lozenge-shaped patiki (flounder) design. The side edges of the taniko are natural and dyed black muka, forming aronui (triangular) patterns in the haehae, or parallel lines.

This text is based on an excerpt from Whatu Kakahu|Maori Cloaks (second edition), edited by Awhina Tamarapa, © Te Papa Press 2019.