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The Old-Time Maori

Full Description of Photographs — (which will be found between pages 144 and 145)

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Full Description of Photographs
(which will be found between pages 144 and 145)

All the objects illustrated were Makareti's

I. MAKERETI ABOUT 1893. In her hair a feather of the huia bird, black with white tip, worn only by chiefs. Round her neck a greenstone TIKI whose name is Te Uoro. It has been buried with ancestors and dug up after a lapse of thirty years at five different times, and is over five hundred years old. The shoulder mat or cloak is of golden-brown kiwi feathers, worn only by chiefs, with a border of white pigeon feathers. I do not remember seeing this cloak among the regalia which she brought to England.

II. MAKERETI ABOUT 1908. Wearing the chiffon head-dress which she first wore and made generally popular, and a cloak which belonged to her mother Pia te Ngarotu, made of white pigeon and green parrot feathers, the pigeon feathers being spotted with red parrot feathers. The WHARIKI or floormats are of woven flax-fibre, the pattern in black. At her feet are a calabash for water, a carved box for holding feathers used in making cloaks, and a HINAKI, or eel-pot. She is resting against the centre post of her home, Tuhoromatakaka (the name of an ancestor). This post is known as POU-TOKO-MANAWA, the post which supports the heart. At its foot is a KOROWAI cloak, of flax-fibre, with streamers of KIEKIE (Freycinetia banksii) fibre. Taken at Whakarewarewa.

III. MAKERETI ABOUT 1922. Wearing a cloak with strips of kiwi feathers and white wool with black wool streamers alternating, the greenstone TIKI, and greenstone ear-pendants. Holding a greenstone club, PATU POUNAMU. The wool and kiwi cloak is thus described in her notes: “Whakahekeheke. Kiwi and kuka huka mat; 49 x 46 inches. This is made in strips of kiwi and wool; worn by me at King George's Coronation.”

IV. MAKERETI WEAVING. About 1926. Taken at Oddington or Oxford. Wearing a korowai cloak of flax-fibre with black KIEKIE streamers, and a fillet of TANIKO work of dyed flax-fibre. TANIKO borders are seen on chief's cloaks only. Above, page 12 an unfinished wool and kiwi cloak. She is at work on a KOROWAI cloak of flax and kiekie. Her note on this cloak is: “Korowai unfinished shoulder mat (see page 27) 49 inches across, depth 37 inches; unfinished part about 30 inches. In weaving a korowai mat, it is woven from the bottom, and finishes at the top.” The WHARIKI or floor-mats are of flax-fibre, and there is a heap of white flax and black-dyed KIEKIE on the floor. On the box, an unfinished cloak, showing feathers tied in as the weaving proceeds. In the right foreground, RAHOKUIA, a very rare type of cloak of flax-fibre with short, curly, black tassels, illustrated in Plate IX.

V. THE CHIEF, MITA TAUPOPOKI. Wearing over all the kiwi feather cloak and the PARE, a flax cap with feathers interwoven, worn by chiefs only. His belt and the borders of the under cloaks are woven in dyed flax fibre. This TANIKO work is also worn only by chiefs. In his hands he carries the TAIAHA, whose positions are described on p. 317.

VI. MAKERETI WITH MEMBERS of her KAINGA at Whakarewarewa. Houses are named after ancestors.

VII. FEATHER CLOAKS. Above, A cloak belonging to her mother Pia te Ngarotu, made of flax, with white pigeon feathers and green parrot feathers interwoven, the white pigeon triangles being flecked with red parrot feathers. Middle, “Kahu Kura 52 x 38, a beautiful feather shoulder mat made in squares from the kaka (parrot), pigeon, tui (Parson bird), and weka (Woodhen) feathers, with kiwi down each side. This mat was given me by Captain Gilbert Mair.” Below, “Feather mat 51 x 38 inches made from the pigeon, tui, and some peacock feathers, arranged in diamond shapes over a groundwork of white feathers.”

VIII. CLOAKS AND CARVED BOXES. Above, the top cloak is “Kahu kiwi, 39 x 32 inches, with taniko border, given to me by Te Heuheu Tukino, Chief of Ngati Tuwharetoa tribe (Taupo), and worn by him as a skirt at the Maori reception on the Race Course at Rotorua for the King and Queen.” Next, KAHU KIWI, 38 x 42. Under, “Kaitaka or Paepaeroa 60 x 57 with taniko border. Only worn by a great chief.” Below, Boxes of carved wood inlaid with haliotis shell, for holding feathers.

IX. KORIRANGI OR KINIKINI CLOAK, 53 x 49 inches, covered with thrums of flax. RAHOKUIA, flax, with short curly black tassels, “very rare”.

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X. KOROWAI CLOAK, 67 x 55 of flax with black KIEKIE streamers. PAKE or PORA, Rain-cloak, made of shreds of flax leaves interwoven with flax fibre, black and yellow dyed.

XI. PIUPIU. Skirts of flax, dyed black and yellow, and other material. These twist and untwist as a dancer moves. POI balls waved in various patterns by dancers.

XII. TIKI AND OTHER ORNAMENTS. In Makareti's notes, it appears that a TIKI takes a long time to complete, is the memorial of an ancestor and conveys his mana to the possessor and is valued for the mana conveyed (see description Plate I and index) and shows that possessor is descended from men of rank. Is worn round neck with plaited fibre and fastened at back with bone button, human or albatross; worn night and day; sometimes very tapu and not to be seen by others; averts witchcraft and accident.

XIII. URUKEHU. Father and child have very fair skin and reddish coloured hair (p. 123).

XIV. THE TOHUNGA, TUTANEKAI. Taken at Whakarewarewa by Makareti.

XV. OLD CARVED PATAKA or Store House (p. 161). Front and back carved, 56 in. wide. 2 sides, 9 ft. by 2 ft. 2 in. high, carved. PAEPAE (threshold board), carved. 2 MAIHI (verge-boards), carved. 2 AMO (supporting verge-boards) carved. 4 legs, carved. TEKOTEKO (figurehead at top).

XVI. OLD CARVED PATAKA, back and front.

XVII. OLD CARVED PATAKA, verge-boards, sides, tekoteko.

XVIII. BASKETS FOR FOOD (pp. 142, 165). Two of the upper ones with loops and strings are used for cooking potatoes in the boiling-holes or hot springs. See index.

XIX. HUIA BIRDS, male and female, two views (p. 269).

XX. TUHOROMATAKAKA, Makareti's House, Exterior (pp. 289 ff).

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XXI. MAKING PLAT-WORK PANELS for the interior of a house (see p. 305).

XXII. TWO-HANDED WEAPONS. 1. POUWHENUA (described on p. 319). 2–5, TAIAHA (described on p. 316). 6, TEWHATEWHA (described on p. 319).

XXIII. TE RANGI WITH TAIAHA. 1, POPOTAHI. 2, WHAKAREHU. 3, HUANUI. (described on p. 317).

XXIV. PATU. 1, WAHAIKA (described on p. 328). 2, 4, 6. PATU POUNAMU (described on p. 323). 3, PATU PARAOA (described on p. 326). 5, KOTIATE (described on p. 327).