Korowai (cloak)

This korowai (cloak with tassel adornment) is from the Te Arawa region around Rotorua/Bay of Plenty in the central North Island. It has a white base with black and brown dyed tags, plus fringes of the same length and width on all four edges. The concentration of tassels on one edge indicates garment's top, which would hang over the wearer's shoulders. There are ties located closer in to allow for a smaller fit and an overlap of the korowai giving a hanging effect.

Muka
Muka is derived from the sword shaped leaves of the flax plant (Phormium tenax), an evergreen found mainly in swampy or low lying areas around New Zealand. It was made by stripping the outer layer of flax with a shell (often a mussel shell). The fibre was then washed and pounded with a muka patu (blunt stone or wood club) to leave a fibrous thread that was silky and soft to touch. The thread was then bound together into a sturdy chord and sometimes dyed before weaving.

Weaving
Cloak weaving was always done from left to right with the work suspended between two upright turuturu (weaving sticks) stuck into the ground. For large cloaks, two pairs were necessary to keep the operative edge at the correct height.