A mat of distinction

This fine whāriki takapau (patterned floor mat) was made using finger-weaving techniques common throughout the Pacific region.

Whāriki takapau add mana (prestige) to important ceremonial and cultural events in Māori society, such as weddings and funerals.

In 2007, this one was used in a repatriation ceremony for ancestral remains returning to New Zealand from various museums in England.