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Arts and Crafts of the Cook Islands

Figure 32.—Feather head band (British Mus., 9950): a, foundation band (1) covered with thick white tapa making band about 40 mm. thick; from between edges of tapa wrapping, sennit braid holders project, each carrying about 16 split black feathers averaging 110 mm. in length and lashed to ends of braid holders with thin strips of bast fiber (2); holders are set close together throughout circumference of band; interspersed with feather holders are strips of thick stiff white tapa about 140 mm. lo…

Figure 32.—Feather head band (British Mus., 9950): a, foundation band (1) covered with thick white tapa making band about 40 mm. thick; from between edges of tapa wrapping, sennit braid holders project, each carrying about 16 split black feathers averaging 110 mm. in length and lashed to ends of braid holders with thin strips of bast fiber (2); holders are set close together throughout circumference of band; interspersed with feather holders are strips of thick stiff white tapa about 140 mm. long and 18 mm. wide; red tail feathers (3) of tropic bird are also inserted through cleft between edges of tapa wrapping and project in horizontal rays for 300 mm. beyond outer edge (4) of split black feathers; ends of band tied together with fine sennit braid and from this junction (5) a number of strips of white tapa (6) 410 mm. long are attached by same lashing; inside measurements of band as shown are 235 mm. long by 140 mm. wide. b, tropic bird tail feathers fixed in pairs with bent piece of coconut leaflet midrib (1) used as a clamp about 46 mm. from ends of quills (2). c, leaflet clamp (1) 16 mm. long is lashed to feather stems by diagonal turns of fine thread (3) which at open end of clamp hang down (4); quill ends of feathers are stuck back into foundation band in part between edges of wrapping cloth, and long threads are tied back to lashing cord of wrapping to prevent feathers from working loose. d, lashing of tapa wrapping: tapa cloth (1) is wrapped around foundation band (2), and the two edges (3, 4) come up on either side of braid holders (5); wrapping is kept in place by transverse turns (6) of a fine human hair braid less than 1 mm. in width, which passes around foundation band and through the two flaps of cloth; on one side free part of hair braid is knotted around standing part (7) after passing through flaps, and then runs horizontally (8) to next pair of holes (9) and so continue throughout. e, opposite side from d, showing transverse turns (6) of hair braid, also occasional turns of fine sennit braid (10) which disappears through holes in cloth wrapping.

Figure 32.—Feather head band (British Mus., 9950): a, foundation band (1) covered with thick white tapa making band about 40 mm. thick; from between edges of tapa wrapping, sennit braid holders project, each carrying about 16 split black feathers averaging 110 mm. in length and lashed to ends of braid holders with thin strips of bast fiber (2); holders are set close together throughout circumference of band; interspersed with feather holders are strips of thick stiff white tapa about 140 mm. long and 18 mm. wide; red tail feathers (3) of tropic bird are also inserted through cleft between edges of tapa wrapping and project in horizontal rays for 300 mm. beyond outer edge (4) of split black feathers; ends of band tied together with fine sennit braid and from this junction (5) a number of strips of white tapa (6) 410 mm. long are attached by same lashing; inside measurements of band as shown are 235 mm. long by 140 mm. wide. b, tropic bird tail feathers fixed in pairs with bent piece of coconut leaflet midrib (1) used as a clamp about 46 mm. from ends of quills (2). c, leaflet clamp (1) 16 mm. long is lashed to feather stems by diagonal turns of fine thread (3) which at open end of clamp hang down (4); quill ends of feathers are stuck back into foundation band in part between edges of wrapping cloth, and long threads are tied back to lashing cord of wrapping to prevent feathers from working loose. d, lashing of tapa wrapping: tapa cloth (1) is wrapped around foundation band (2), and the two edges (3, 4) come up on either side of braid holders (5); wrapping is kept in place by transverse turns (6) of a fine human hair braid less than 1 mm. in width, which passes around foundation band and through the two flaps of cloth; on one side free part of hair braid is knotted around standing part (7) after passing through flaps, and then runs horizontally (8) to next pair of holes (9) and so continue throughout. e, opposite side from d, showing transverse turns (6) of hair braid, also occasional turns of fine sennit braid (10) which disappears through holes in cloth wrapping.