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Ancient Māori war cloak returns to Auckland
An ancient Māori war cloak that is one of only five of its kind still known to exist has returned to Auckland, New Zealand, after decades in storage at Durham University’s Oriental Museum. It is the only one of the five currently in New Zealand and will go on display at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The other four are all in collections in other countries.
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. Like Alexander the Great’s linothorax and other textile armors, it is far lighter and far more flexible than metal plate or mail, and in sunny climates, it has the distinct advantage of not heating up like an oven.
The pauku’s documented history can be traced back to the 18th century, but the design dates to the 17th century. It was loaned to Durham University Museum in the 1960s by the Trevelyan family who converted the loan into a gift in 1971. It was kept in storage and was only recognized for its rarity and cultural significance when Māori experts saw it there in 2017.
The pauku is distinguished by its border, which comprises a complex two-directional tāniko technique and a black-on-black background design, achieved through a sophisticated dying process using paru (ferruginous mud). This design, known as wā pōkere, contains mātauranga [traditional knowledge] on the evolution of the beginning of time. The blackness of the tāniko represents the void from which the world emerged from. This design and tāniko technique have not been seen on a kākahu (cloak) in Aotearoa New Zealand in 200 years.
On a five-year research and exhibition loan from the Oriental Museum, Durham University, the pauku will be under the care of Te Aho Mutunga Kore, our textile and fibre knowledge exchange centre for Māori and Pacific communities. Te Aho Mutunga Kore will host the pauku and facilitate access for knowledge holders, creative practitioners and the public. The project will be guided by our Māori curatorial team and the Museum’s tohunga expert weavers advisory group, Taumata Māreikura.
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