Skirt

Item number 424/4 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Data
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Description

Cape composed of flax leaves that have been scraped into fibres, woven together wih a band at the waistband and using regularly spaced single pair twining the top half of the skirt. Each row is overlaid with intermitently scraped leaves, resembling stalks, and the bottom half is comprised mostly of free-moving stalk-like leaves. Several tufts of grey downy feathers are attached intermittently near the waistband.

History Of Use

The structure of this skirt would have made it both warm and modest for the upper thighs, while at the same time the dangling leaves of the bottom half would allow for freedom of movement. Feathers would have been used around the entire waist band.

Specific Techniques

The Maori term for New Zealand Flax is harakeke, while the Latin term is phormium texax. In order to obtain the fibres used for weaving, the leaf is scraped and dried. When only parts of the leaf are scraped, the leaf rolls up when dried, forming the stalk-like parts of the skirt.

Item History

Made in New Zealand
Owned by B.C. Provincial Museum before November 17, 1977
Received from B.C. Provincial Museum (Transferring institution) on November 17, 1977