since we first moved to aotearoa nz a little over a year ago, i’ve wanted to learn a bit of the arts/crafts of the maori. harakeke weaving/plaiting seemed a good place to start, but it wasn’t till a coupla months ago that i’ve had the time AND the money to attend classes.
this is the product(s) of one term with kaumatua don soloman at art station, 3 hours a week. while bags are the prettier and more usual project, i’ve fallen in love with the box type things, and seem to be able to find much more use for them. go here or here to find more pictures and examples of harakeke weaving.
- one of the earliest ones. this *should have been a purse.
- these were traditionally used to store kumara. we use it for kitchen trash.
- as close to pretty as i got!
- a rough 'pikau' or backpack we use for the papers
- the 'windows' design
neat… esp liked the newspaper bag..
ty gauri! it's called a pikau, and works as a backpack. i found it pretty hard t make, though i guess it is worth a try again. there are some lovely ones if you follow the links.
The weaving is very traditional, similar to Mizo Weaving… The ones in the pics are the type we call "Bawhtah" (I think!), cos its one strip over lapping the next, kinda alternately.
We learnt them at a Work Experience class back in School and I still remember it all distinctly.
There are some more where the vertical strip overlaps every 2nd horizontal strip, and another where it overlaps every 3rd, I cant really describe it well without pictures..
hey much thanks not good! part of my interest in weaving comes from watching apu do some. i think i may know what you mean by 2nd/3rd strip. will try to get some harakeke and do some.