item details
Overview
A hihimā is a korowai (cloak adorned with decorative two- or three-ply threads) that has undyed hukahuka (tassels). These cloaks are rare in comparison to the classic korowai, which have black-dyed hukahuka attached.
The term hihimā, or 'rays of light', describes the beauty and movement of the natural muka hukahuka catching the light as the cloak is worn. This hihimā is one of two examples in the Te Papa collection. It was donated by Alexander Turnbull in 1913.
Construction
The kaupapa (foundation) is muka (New Zealand Flax Fibre), weft twined in whatu aho rua (two-pair weft twining) technique. There are six whenu (warp threads) per centimetre, with 5 mm spacing between each aho (weft) row. The aho poka (shaping rows) are in simple elliptical inserts of eleven rows, 500 mm from the bottom of the cloak. Their start and finish are easily located by tidy knots visible on the surface, these blending in perfectly with the hukahuka. The hukahuka themselves are attached approximately every seven aho rows, and spaced about 80 - 90 mm apart.
The hukahuka at the sides of the cloak are attached at every fourth aho row, 30-40 mm apart.The kurupatu (collar) and the remu (lower border) are hukahuka. The whenu tapiri (border warps) utilise brown-dyed muka to produce a subtle and pleasing finish.
This text is based on an excerpt from Whatu Kakahu|Maori Cloaks (second edition), edited by Awhina Tamarapa, © Te Papa Press 2019.