Kaitaka aronui (cloak)

This kaitaka (fine flax cloak) was presented to the Dominion Museum in 1920 by a Mrs Adams of Nelson. It is unusually small, and was possibly woven for a small child.  

The kaitaka is classic aronui/pātea style, with narrow side borders and a deep lower border of tāniko (geometric patterning). The very wide lower border is dominated by the striking zigzag pattern known as aramoana (pathway of the sea). Small dashes of multicoloured wool can be seen within the lines. 

The edges of this cloak feature a two-ply decorative twist of red wool and brown/black-dyed muka (flax fibre). Along the side borders, the tāniko is of the complex aronui (triangular) pattern, in both natural and traditionally dyed black and brown muka (New Zealand flax fibre).


Construction
The kaupapa (foundation) of the kaitaka is muka, weft-twined in whatu aho rua (double-pair weft twining) technique. The whenu (warp threads) measure eight per centimetre, with 5 mm spacing between each aho (weft row). The poka (shaping rows) are in three sets of simple elliptical inserts: three rows at the very top, eight rows 200 mm from the top, and six rows 100 mm from the bottom.

The selvedge commencement is at the top and decorated with a row of red, green and purple wool twisted to create a collar. The lower tāniko border measures a fine ten whenu per centimetre and  has a depth of 150 mm. The side taniko is 80 mm deep.

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