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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

2. Pungavere

2. Pungavere.

In this variety, the pahoa is dyed red.

Red Dye. The basis of the red dye is the grape-like berries of the mati. The ends of the ripe berries are pinched off kinikini, and put into water in a wooden bowl. They are left until the water becomes clouded or grey, when they are removed. The fluid is now termed wai mati.

Leaves of the tou are now rubbed and crushed between the fingers and dropped into the mati water. The water turns red. The leaves are left in until the colour is judged to be of the right depth, when they are removed.

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The last stage is to add some of the creamy fluid expressed from the grated cocoanut.

Treatment. The cloth is soaked in this dye until it reaches the right shade of red The particular deep shade of red is termed kutekute. The cloth is dried and thus changes from pahoa to pungavere.