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Kahu Huruhuru prestigious feather cloak. Introduced in the…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Auckland
Date:
22-Oct-2015
Lot No.
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Description:
Kahu Huruhuru prestigious feather cloak. Introduced in the second half of the 19th century, the kahu huruhuru celebrated the prestigious nature of the Polynesian cloak with the use of high-status bird species such as the kereru, kakariki, kaka and tui. Notably, kahu huruhuru are worked in an upside-down manner with the geometric workings starting from the bottom; this suggests they are a development from the orthodox korowai cloak with even earlier roots reaching back into the pre-contact rain cloaks (hieke). The thrum commencement at the bottom edge establishes the whenu (warps) at seven per centimetre. The aho (wefts) are woven in whatu aho rua (double-pair twining) with seven to eight millimetres between rows. The feathers are attached singly to every aho in a complex geometric configuration reminiscent of earlier Hawaiian cloaks. The materials used were: flax fibre and kereru, kakariki, kaka and tui feathers. Height 95 cm. Width 115 cm. Private Collection, New Zealand
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Tribal: New Zealand Maori