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The Maori Race

Textiles

page 221

Textiles.

The Maoris were skilled weavers of those materials which were accessible to them, and which could be utilised for the rough uses of people to whom luxury was unknown in the sense in which the inhabitants, ancient and modern, of great cities have conceived and executed beautiful fabrics for the decoration of their persons and their homes. Rough, comparatively speaking, as some of the products of the native looms were, they were admirably suited for the purpose for which they were designed, and were not only hygienic and durable, but were often ornamented with a good taste beyond praise. The mats and baskets now so often seen in New Zealand, and exhibited as specimens of Maori work, decorated with fringes and tassels coloured in discordant and glaring hues, owe their hideousness to “Judson's Dyes” used with unsparing hand to produce vulgar effects. The beautiful browns and dull reds, or the black and white patterns to be seen on old Maori garments, page 222 prove that the eye of the maker was as susceptible to an æsthetic scheme of colour in the decoration of textiles as it was unerring in regard to form when carving or canoe-building.

The chief textile material was the New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax). It was as a general name spoken of as harakeke, but to the accurate speaker and observer there were over fifty varieties.* The species fit for nets could not be used for making a fine mat; that woven for the body of a mat was useless for the border. The variety suitable for a girl's small apron (maro) was rejected for the mat used as a spear-pad, and so on.

To prepare the material the leaves of the Phormium were cut, generally in the winter time, dried in the sun, tied into bundles, and carried to the village. The green outer cuticle was scraped from the fibre with the sharp edge of a cockle (pipi) shell. The fibre (muka) was then steeped for three or four days in running water, taken out and pounded with a stone beater. It was again dried and bleached the sun; then chafed and rubbed, and well

* The best kinds were tihoi, oue, rongo-tainui, paritaniwha, rukutia, and huruhika; of these the superior sorts of garments were made. The varieties called huhi, rataroa, mangaeka, and tutaemanu were of poorer quality and used for inferior or rougher materials. Wharareki (or Wharaeki) is brittle in fibre and was only used for sleeping mats. The ruatapu was set apart for making fillets where with to bind the air, while the ngutu-nui was split into unscraped threads for the making of nets. There were three or four kinds of variegated flax (taneawai,aohanga and pare koretawa) but these were more valued as ornamental plants than for textile purposes.

page 223 worked in the hands till properly soft, and till every particle (para) of the green outer skin had been removed. It was only the portion of the flax intended for the warp-thread (io) that was pounded; the woof-threads (aho) were merely chafed and rubbed. When this had been accomplished the muka was called whitau, and was ready for spinning, but the process was often repeated several times in preparing choice fibre for the superior kind of garments.

Although the groundwork of a fine mat consisted generally of the silvery white of prepared flax, still there were portions such as the borders, fringes, etc., requiring dyed material. The Maoris had two good dyes, a black and reddish brown, both fast colours as they prepared them. The red was obtained from the bark of the tanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides) which was pounded up with a wooden or stone beater (patu) and placed in a bowl or vessel (oko) full of water. The water was kept boiling by means of hot stones transferred thereto with wooden tongs. The fire at which these stones were heated might not be a cooking fire, nor might it be looked at by common people, or the knowledge how to prepare the dye would vanish from the minds of the artificers (ah, the trade-secrets!). After water containing the bark had been some time boiling the flax-fibre was placed in the vessel and the boiling continued. The fibre, stained red with the dye in the bark, was then transferred to a carefully prepared bed of hot clean wood-ashes, a layer of ashes being placed above it. The whole was moved about quickly, page 224 being stirred with a stick to thoroughly make every part of the fibre come into contact with the ashes and prevent it being scorched or discoloured. This set the dye, but the fibre was afterwards put back into the oko, and boiled again for a few minutes, after which it was taken out and hung up to dry, a completion of the process.

The black dye was generally obtained from the bark of hinau (Elœocarpus dentatus) or the pokaka (E. hookerianus); after it had been pounded and placed in a wooden trough. A layer of crushed bark was covered with a layer of fibre, and water poured in. The fibre was left soaking for fourteen or fifteen hours till it had become sticky to the touch, when it was transferred to certain swamps wherein a particular kind of black mud was found. This mud is found in swamps where the white pine (kahikatea: Podocarpus dacrydioides) abounds, and is generally accompanied by a reddish scum on the surface. This soaking in the mud really dyed the flax, the steeping in hinau solution only being the mordant process. Yellow, a colour little used, was obtained from the barks of the Coprosmas, karamu and raurekau. For some delicate work, as in the making of the pretty little baskets woven for a first-born child, etc., a fine blue-black was procured from the bark of tutu (Coriaria ruscifolia). The other fibres, besides flax, used in making garments were those of the Cabbage Palm (ti: Cordyline sp.) and the kie-kie (Freycinetia banksii) a parasitic plant, interesting as being allied to the Pandanus or Screw Palm of page 225 the Pacific. In mountainous parts of the country where flax was scarce the toi (Cordyline indivisa) was found extremely useful. It was the flax, however, upon which the native almost universally relied, not only for his clothing, but for his sleeping - mats, nets, cordage, etc., and it is recorded of an old Maori, who was told that Phormium flax did not grow in Europe, that he was overcome with astonishment and inability to conceive how the unhappy people living there continued to clothe themselves or pursue the arts of life without what to him was almost a necessity of existence.

The young woman who was desirous of learning the art of weaving had much ceremonial to pass through, and her memory was thoroughly taxed to retain all the minutiæ of her new occupation. She had to be taught to weave (whatu) by a priest (tohunga) and one well acquainted with the ritual as well as the practical methods of weaving. It did not resemble in any way the introduction of a new hand into a European cotton-mill.

The pupil and her master were alone allowed to be present. Seated near each other in the weaving-house (whare-pora), the initiate was introduced to the weaving frame (turuturu) consisting of two sticks often carved at the top, about four feet in length and one inch in diameter except for certain kinds of work (such as making korowai) when four short turuturu, about 14 inches or 18 inches long, were used. These sticks were stuck upright in the ground at a distance corresponding to page 226 the width of the web. The threads used were of two kinds, one (miro) made by twisting and rolling the fibre on the leg, the other (karure) of two of the first kind twisted together. The first woof-thread (aho) was fastened to the sticks, pulled taut and secured, the sticks being also made firm in the ground. To the aho was then attached the vertical threads of the warp (io or whenu) which hung down to the floor. The woof-threads (aho) were then passed across from left to right, the first being the sacred thread (tawhiu or aho tapu.) Each woof-thread was made of four single threads, two of which aho were passed in and out, under and over each io. The process was, however, opposite to the European mode of weaving. Two aho threads were raised or depressed at the same time, crossing them by bringing the two outer ones over the two inner, which thus became two outer, and formed the knot holding the woof-threads. Thus instead of the shuttle-thread or woof being alternated between threads of the warp, the warp-thread was brought over the woof-thread.

Before the pupil could work, however, she had to be made holy, so that she could handle the sacred thread (aho tapu). She took in her hand some of the flax while the priest recited a charm (he moremore puwha) and when he had concluded, she bit the upper part of the right-hand weaving-stick, that turuturu being the sacred one, the other, the left-hand rod, being common (noa). Then the sacred thread was laid by her across the frame and fastened; this thread being made from the fibre she had held page 227 in her hand during the ceremony. She then wove in a band of the woof-threads some inches in depth, copying some valuable garment spread out before her for the purpose.

As the work went on the priest chanted another invocation (pou) designed to make the mind of the learner receptive, and the memory retentive. During the time the ceremonies and teaching were in progress to perfect the initiation the pupil was not allowed to eat, nor to approach food or the cooking place of food; she was tapu. If the matter in hand could not be finished in one day the novice had to sleep in the whare pora or in some place by herself, which place itself became tapu. Neither could any communication take place between the pupil and her family.

By “the matter on hand” being finished it is not meant that the mat or garment had to be finished. The remark only applied to the initiatory ceremonies. The web first started always remained unfinished, as her “pattern piece” (mea tauira). When the time came for the young woman to go out, she had first to be “made common” (whaka-noa). To do this the priest produced some green vegetables (puwha) and then repeated the incantation (without the ceremony) known as “turning the floor mat” (hurihanga takapau). On its completion the pupil bent her head and ate some of the puwha or else touched it with her lips and gave it to her teacher to eat. She was then free to depart, and take up the ordinary duties of life, including weaving, for the future.

page 228

A valuable mat would sometimes take a woman two or three years to weave, and a proficient weaver was regarded as a very desirable wife.

There were many omens to be watched for and rules touched with the supernatural to be observed while the process of weaving was going on. If in preparing the threads some of the refuse, the tow (hungahunga), should be thrown into the fire, it was bad luck. If the woof-thread was incomplete at sundown (that is not carried right across) it was bad luck. If fine work was in hand, at sunset the right hand turuturu was released and the work rolled up till morning; but the threads might be prepared or common garments woven at night. If this was not attended to the weaver would lose all knowledge of the art. If one of the upright sticks fell over without being touched it was a sign of approaching visitors. If a stranger approached a woman who was weaving she had to lay down her work and grasp the right-hand stick, the sacred turuturu, laying it down, or leaving it lying at an angle across the work. If the woof-thread (aho) became tangled it was a sign of visitors. When high-class work, such as for superior garments had to be done it might not go on in the open air; some sort of roof, even a branch or two put over the head, had to be provided. If men ever wove they confined their attention to the weaving of the ornamental borders (taniko) of mats.

Mat-weaving is said to have been taught to Rua, an old Maori ancestor, and Rua is the tutelary deity of the weaving-house and page 229 weaving. He is reported to have learnt his art from the Wood Fairies (Hakuturi) who also taught him wood-carving. Another legend, however, ascribes the credit of first weaving clothing to Hine-rau-a-moa, the wife of the god Tane, and certain garments are named as having been made by her, but the honour is claimed, also, for Hinganga-roa who taught the art of weaving baskets and sleeping-mats in coloured patterns.

Further allusion to weaving clothing will be made under the description of the different kinds of garments worn by the Maori, but we will now pass to the consideration of the coarser kinds of weaving and plaiting necessary to form the different articles in common use.

Floor-mats (whariki) made of flax or kutakuta, a kind of rush, and a finer description used as sleeping-mats (takapau) were constructed of kiekie (Freycinetia) leaves or wharariki (Phormium colensoi) but under the fine sleeping-mats were placed coarser ones named tuwhara. The kiekie leaves required little preparation. They were cut and half dried, threshed on the ground to give them pliancy and hung up for a while till bleached, then split into strips and woven. Coarse mats (tapaki) were used for placing in the earth-ovens, underneath and above the food.

Reference is made in legend to a very valuable and sacred mat on which a chief's wife lay in child-birth. It was made of the scalps of slain enemies.

Baskets (kete) were of many kinds and, though all named, are difficult to differentiate page 230 in some of their varieties, some being set aside for particular purposes, and others only being noticeable from a peculiarity in weaving. The leaves of the cabbage-tree (ti) or of the nikau palm (Areca sapida) were often used instead of flax for baskets, but flax was the chief material for their production. The best and most beautiful work that could be executed was expended on the baby's basket by the native woman when expecting her first-born child, and on it was lavished the tender and delicate workmanship which was the outward expression of mother-love common to every race at such a time. “Weave, weave the basket, a couch for my unborn son” were the opening words of the invocation address to the goddess of child-birth at the time of parturition. Small finely-worked bags (putea) were used for holding small articles,1 and, being carried by a cord slung over the shoulder, served the purpose of a lady's reticule. Very small ones, containing fragrant moss or gum were worn in the bosom by a cord round the neck. Food-baskets, named differently on account of the shapes (taparua, paro, konae, etc.), were roughly woven from green flax and served as plates or dishes to be thrown away after being once used. Baskets (ngehingehi) were used in the process of extracting oil from titoki berries, others (pututu) for straining the juice of tutu. Round baskets (toiki or tukohu) held food requiring to be steeped; seed-kumara were kept in baskets (pu-kirikiri or toiki) but the toiki were made of supple-jacks (pirita: Rhipogonum parviflorum) not of flax. A very useful kind of basket page 231 (patua or papa-hua-hua) although not woven, was made from the bark of the totara pine (Podocarpus totara) folded together to hold water, and sometimes used for boiling water through the agency of hot stones thrown therein.2

The larger kinds of ropes, (taura) cords, etc., were made of flax, but leaves of the ti (cabbage-palm: Cordyline) and of kiekie were also used. Some kinds of flax are much more plaint and flexible than others, and great care was taken and discrimination shown in choosing the right material. All kinds of twists and plaits were used, flat, round and square. The shoulder-straps (kawe or kahaki), for carrying burdens on the back, were flat. The anchor-cable was a peculiarly-plaited four-sided rope made from the leaves of the ti wilted in the sun and then soaked in water to make the material pliant; flax would not have been suitable for ropes often wetted in salt water.*

The large seine fishing nets were made of flax prepared but not scraped, and split into widths. Some were of immense length; one example measured 2,400 feet long by 30 feet deep. They were all fitted with floats of buoyant wood (whau: Entelea arborescens) and

* Ropes were named generally as “a rope” (taura, rahiri, whaka-heke, hutihuti, etc.), or from their use, as pae the rope by which a seine net was hauled, kaha the rope at upper edge of a seine, or else from the plaiting with several strands (tari 8: tamaka 5; whiri paraharaha 3 flat; rino 2 twisted; whiri-kawe 3 flat; iwi-tuna 4 round; whiri-tuapuku, 4 round; rauru 5 flat; whiri-pekapeka 9 flat; whiri-taura-kaka 10 square). Flat plaits were generally whiri-papa.

page 232 with sinkers, hauling ropes, etc. The fine cords or lines for fishing, etc., were twisted with the most delicate care, and those for special purposes, such as for fastening barbs to fish hooks or for attaching to the little apron of a young lady of rank, were often exquisitely made.3