Kakahu
The Kakahu are the traditional capes of the Maori , the indigenous people of New Zealand . There they are highly valued heirlooms that occupy a high place in Maori culture. The traditional rules ( tikanga ) are always observed in their production .
Manufacturing
Fiber recovery
The Maori cloaks are made from New Zealand flax (phormium tenax), an herbaceous plant. New Zealand flax is used in Maori culture for many functional and symbolic objects. The material for the kakahu comes from the broad leaves of the plant. To harvest them, the leaf is cut obliquely from the center outwards. This prevents rainwater from penetrating the plant and causing rot or pest infestation. In addition, only the outer leaves of the plant are ever harvested. The inner three are left to allow the plant to continue growing.
As a first processing step, the leaf ends, edges and central ribs of the leaves are now removed. Then the fibers ( muka ) are freed from the leaves with a mussel shell. Thus the waxy top and the green bottom are separated from the fibers. The scraping continues until the fibers are completely separated from the other leaf components.
Making the threads
The warp threads ( whenu ) can be produced immediately from these fibers : For this purpose, two fiber strands are twisted into a warp thread and then twisted by rolling between the palm of the hand and the thigh, moisture promotes the twisting. Otherwise the fibers can twist or roll up. The warp threads are then swollen in water overnight to remove excess tannin , and the next day the threads are hung up to dry. For this purpose, the threads are always braided about fifty times. After drying, the fibers are soaked again and tapped from volcanic rock with a mallet. The strands are rotated in order to process them from all sides. During this process, which is repeated twice, most of the water in the fibers is knocked out. This is how the soft warp thread is created.
The production of the weft threads works in almost the same way, but less fibers are twisted and the threads are dried without being beaten.
Dyeing the fibers
After the threads are made, they can be dyed in the traditional colors of black, brown and yellow. Mostly the weft threads are dyed here, the warp thread in most cases remains undyed.
The black color is achieved by placing the finished threads in a solution containing tannin, which is obtained from the crushed bark of the hinau tree ( Elaeocarpus dentatus ). They are then soaked in mud that is particularly rich in iron for one night. However, this type of dyeing shortens the lifespan of the resulting cloak, as the iron and the acidic tannins accelerate the decomposition of the flax extremely.
Brown is colored by soaking the fibers with the tenekaha bark ( Phyllocladus trichomanoides ) solution. Then they are rubbed with the still warm ashes of the mahoe tree ( Melicytus ramiflorus ).
Yellow is colored by soaking the fibers in a solution made from bark.
Undyed fibers are also used; these are gray-white in color.
Twist ties
When twine tying ( whatu ), the first weft thread is connected with all the warp threads and the workpiece is tied with the ends of the weft thread to wooden poles stuck in the ground. In actual twine tying, a distinction is made between single ( whatu aho tahi ) and double ( whatu aho rua ) twine tying .
The simple one works with a weft thread, which is always passed alternately above and below the warp thread.
In the case of double twisted bandages, on the other hand, two weft threads are used. For this purpose, the two weft threads are also first passed over and under the warp threads. Then the lower ones are split up and the warp thread is placed over it, while the upper one is passed over the warp thread and through the divided weft threads. The threads cross each other and are held in position.
The warp thread is guided with the index finger and clamped between the weft threads with the thumb. The warp thread must have enough tension to be able to be aligned safely. The left hand holds the remaining warp threads, these are held in place by a slight tension.
The kakahu are, due to the simple weaving devices, simple capes without holes for the neck and arms. They are only adapted to the body at the top and bottom. This is achieved by working in additional, shorter rows of weft threads ( aho poka ). These can also be used to influence the concave shape of the cape.
The capes are also often finished with decorative braids ( tāniko ).
Types
Kahu kari
The kahu kari is the most valuable of the kakahu . It is particularly difficult to make and requires a lot of patience and perseverance to make. It consists of rows of weft threads with a simple twine weave, which are, however, bound very tightly so that there are no gaps between the rows. The kahu kari is decorated with strips of dog fur, which are sewn on with a flax cord at the intersections of the warp and weft threads. The fur here comes from the Polynesian dog ( kuri ). Since this has been considered extinct since the 19th century , this cape is no longer made these days, which makes it very rare.
Kaitaka
Another type of kakahu is the kaitaka . It is a tightly woven cape without a pattern, but with ornate decorative strips on the sides and a wider decorative border below.
Korowai
The most common type of cloak is the korowai . This is a simple, ordinary piece of clothing adorned with black cords. The cords are either tightly braided or untied again. Then they are attached to the warp threads at the intersections of the threads, forming their own pattern on the cape. Usually there are a lot of cords on the top and less on the hem and on the sides.
Kahu huruhuru
This type of kakahu is a cloak that has been completely decorated with sewn-on feathers since the mid-19th century.
Piupiu
The piupiu is in contrast to the previously listed Kakahu no cloak, but only a loincloth . It consists of elongated leaf strips with sections of black colored fibers. For this, the fibers are exposed at these points with a sharp mussel shell and colored black. The leaf parts that are not exposed remain yellow-brown due to their waxy surface. After drying, the leaf parts roll up. The resulting bands are either braided together at the top so that a belt or apron is created, or they are incorporated into a fabric.
literature
- Rangi Te Kanawa: Maori textile manufacturing process . In: The Red Thread, exhibition catalog of the Weltkulturen Museum Frankfurt . Kerber Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2016, pp. 78–93.
Individual evidence
- ^ Rangi Te Kanawa: Textile manufacturing process of the Maori . In: Weltkulturenmuseum Frankfurt (Ed.): The red thread . Kerber Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2016, p. 78-93 .