"Known as a pauku, the cloak was wielded by the warrior to protect his body. It was woven with tight rows of single-pair weft twining and then soaked in water, mud or other materials to harden it. Warriors wore it wrapped around the arm and hand or abdomen in close-quarters combat. The densely-woven textile strengthened by the post-production treatment absorbed the impact of hard blows and helped the warrior deflect the attack."
"The pauku is distinguished by its border, which comprises a complex two-directional taniko technique and a black-on-black background design, achieved through a sophisticated dying process using paru (ferruginous mud). This design, known as wa pokere, contains matauranga [traditional knowledge] on the evolution of the beginning of time. The blackness of the taniko represents the void from which the world emerged from. This design and taniko technique have not been seen on a kakahu (cloak) in Aotearoa New Zealand in 200 years."
The pauku is an ancient Māori war cloak, one of only five known to exist, now returned to Auckland for display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The cloak was woven with tight rows of single-pair weft twining and then soaked in water, mud or other materials to harden it, enabling warriors to wear it wrapped around the arm, hand or abdomen in close-quarters combat. The dense weave and post-production treatment absorbed impacts and helped deflect blows while remaining lighter and more flexible than metal armor. The design dates to the 17th century and features a rare two-directional taniko border with black-on-black paru dyeing and wa pokere symbolism.
Read at www.thehistoryblog.com
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