Korowai (cloak)

This cloak is a classic example of using contemporary materials (wool) on a traditional garment. It has brightly coloured woolen borders with a black woolen hukahuka border accentuating to top of the garment. The tassels that are placed over the body of the garment are made from twisted wool.

The coloured woolen borders were popular with the introduction of contemporary materials. On this garment, the wool was looped then cut to give a hukahuka effect.

Pre-European colour
Before the arrival of European settlers and modern materials such as wool, colours were sourced from indigenous materials. Paru (mud high in iron salts) provided black, raurēkau (shrub: Brachyglottis repanda) bark made yellow, and tānekaha (celery pine: Phyllocladus trichomanoides) bark made tan. The colour was set by rolling the dyed muka (flax fibre) in alum (potash).