Feathers and flax A kahu on exhibition Jay Miller, Meredith Blake and Xanthe Jujnovich

From November 2012 to February A highlight of the exhibition of the cloak and discuss some 2013 an exhibition at the Ian Potter was an important finger-woven of the issues in displaying such Museum of Art at the University of kahu kiwi or cloak, which a garment. In our research we Melbourne featured artefacts from has three hand-woven tāniko border focused on four questions: how the Leonhard Adam Collection panels.2 The exhibition gave visitors had the cloak arrived in the of International Indigenous a rare opportunity to see this fragile Leonhard Adam Collection, how Culture.1 Ninety pieces from the and remarkable cloak. In this had it survived in relatively good Leonhard Adam Collection were article we report on research to date condition, what is its significance, complemented by a small display regarding the acquisition of the and what more could we learn of works by contemporary Samoan cloak for the university’s collection, about the craft techniques used? artist Michel Tuffery. briefly describe the characteristics

16 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 13, December 2013 Artist unknown (Māori people, New Zealand), Kahu kiwi (cloak) with tāniko borders, c. 1910–50, kiwi , woven plant fibre (Phormium tenax), natural or commercial dye, 121 × 156 cm. Accession no. 1960.1318, acquired 1954, the Leonhard Adam Collection of International Indigenous Culture, University of Melbourne Art Collection.

Dr Adam buys a cloak also has natural insect-repellent collectors willing to exchange. Adam Many museums around the world hold properties. Sadly, at this late date collected objects for their physical ethnographic collections that were and without access to Mrs Dawson’s characteristics and artistic skill, and acquired with little accompanying records, we may never know exactly as anthropological evidence, but this documentation or information on how the cloak got to Lonsdale approach to acquisition did not always provenance. This is a source of Street, Melbourne, Australia. One include recording the associated frustration to researchers, collection possibility is that the cloak and other stories or meanings of objects. managers and curators.3 Fortunately, objects had arrived in Australia as In his seminal work Primitive art,7 Leonhard Adam made some effort a gift. Such significant garments, Adam argued for so-called ‘primitive to document his acquisitions and we normally worn by chiefs and other art’ to be discussed in the same terms know when he acquired the kahu people of high status, were sometimes as ‘European art’. He challenged the kiwi. Adam’s diary reveals that on presented either singly or in a group distinction between ‘fine’ art and 26 August 1954 he ‘Bought from to dignitaries such as visiting royalty, what was then defined as ‘minor’ Mrs A.C. Dawson, 235 Lonsdale a governor or an ambassador.5 art: applied, decorative, industrial or Street . . . (1) A maori feather cloak, The diary entry prompted us to commercial art. He studied closely from Kiwi feathers, with woven border check whether the other artefacts that the forms, decorative designs and skill in the taniko technique. In cedar wood Dr Adam bought from Mrs Dawson levels displayed in art from indigenous glass case’. Adam also notes some are still present in the collection. We cultures in order to challenge the other purchases made on the same day are pleased to report that all were prevailing Eurocentric approach to from Mrs Dawson: a Māori weapon, successfully matched up. Indeed the art theory. called a taiaha and made of wood, and taiaha was exhibited at the Potter several other Māori items. He reports alongside the kahu kiwi. The design, meaning and that the whole lot, including a cedar cosmology of kahu kiwi and glass case, cost £25.4 Dr Adam the collector We were fortunate to be able to Discovery of the diary entry Dr Leonhard Adam was a research call on the experience and skills eliminates the possibility that Adam scholar (1943–47), lecturer (1947– of Dr Maureen Lander, weaver, might have acquired the cloak from 56) and part-time curator of the contemporary artist and former a public institution, or directly from ethnological collection (1958–60) at academic based in Auckland, who 6 a Māori family or community. The the University of Melbourne. He provided us with help and advice and mention of a glass case partly explains developed the collection primarily visited the Potter to view the cloak the relatively stable condition of the as a teaching and research resource before it went on display. We also cloak, in particular the tāniko woven encompassing a variety of different consulted archival material, catalogues borders. If a private collector or owner types of objects from many different from other museums and academic had displayed the cloak in such a cultures. At the same time he theses to help us contextualise the glass case, this implies some care and amassed a collection of works to offer kahu kiwi and to find some clues protection over the years. Cedar wood to international institutions and local to the origins of the makers of such

Jay Miller, Meredith Blake and Xanthe Jujnovich, ‘Feathers and flax’ 17 Detail of the kahu kiwi. May and Mina Moore, Māori woman wearing traditional costume, c. 1910–13, gelatin silver print, 19.8 × 12.0 cm. Accession no. H38782/638, State Library of Victoria.

cloaks. From the British Museum By the late 19th century, kahu Some kiwi cloaks are constructed we learnt that at the time of Captain kiwi had replaced cloaks made from by sewing together whole kiwi skins, Cook’s voyages (1768–70, 1773 and the skin of the New Zealand native but the more common method is to 1777) about 40 cloaks were collected dog (known as a kuri and now extinct) weave a muka (flax fibre) cloak and from New Zealand. Few of these have as the most prestigious garment worn securely attach the feathers to the any trace of feathers.8 Archaeological by chiefs. The five types of kiwi whenu (warp strands) in bunches of remains of feather cloaks from parts in New Zealand differ in rarity, size, between three and five feathers, using of the South Island such as Lake colour and origins (from either the a weft-twining technique.12 This is Houroko and Strath Taieri show early North or South Island).10 We studied the method used for the university’s 17th-century use of kaka, images of the and their feathers kahu kiwi. This particular cloak (night parrot) and feathers.9 It and believe the Leonhard Adam cloak could perhaps have belonged to a is therefore possible that people wore contains feathers from the Southern woman, as the weaver has cleverly kiwi and other feather cloaks in the Brown Kiwi or the Okarito Kiwi, but built in darts so that the cloak could colder, mountainous or more remote this is yet to be confirmed. Even DNA drape closely around a body (or two parts of New Zealand, which were testing does not provide an answer on if the wearer were holding a child not visited by early coastal explorers provenance, as feathers were widely in her arms). Māori women guides such as Cook. traded and presented as gifts.11 in Rotorua often wore such cloaks, but we cannot be absolutely certain about the gender of the wearer of the university’s kahu kiwi.13 Using kiwi feathers for cloaks is not an ancient tradition in 14 Māori culture. The Māori people originated in eastern Polynesia, arriving in New Zealand in several waves of canoe voyages some time before 1300 CE. As mentioned above, red feathers from the underwing of the kaka were traditionally used to adorn the cloaks of chiefs. Kiwi feather cloaks began to appear as high-status items in the mid- to late 19th century, gaining prominence in the early to mid-20th century. The meanings of feathers have an ancient tradition in Māori cosmology.

18 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 13, December 2013 Jay Miller, Meredith Blake and Xanthe Jujnovich, ‘Feathers and flax’ 19 Detail of the woven tāniko border of the cloak.

Birds are associated with ancestors and death. Physically, birds inhabit the world between earth and the heavens, where the spirit goes after death. Feather cloaks carry wairua or the spirit of the birds. If Māori people want to bring to life an object such as a carving, waka (war canoe) or item of personal adornment, one way to do this is to attach feathers, because when the wind stirs the feathers they evoke breathing and life.15 The Māori word for feather is hau or hou, which can be interpreted as wind, breath, the vitality of man and the vital essence of the land.16 Weavers and communities often stored the feathers they had gathered or traded in treasure boxes or feather boxes known as papahou; the word includes of Joseph Banks by the American realm. Some kahu kiwi were also the term hou. Typically these were tail painter Benjamin West.17 Banks is buried with chiefs or their family feathers used for head adornment, wearing the kaitaka and pointing members. Nowadays however cloaks taken from birds such as the gannet to its tāniko border. People seldom are considered too rare and valuable (the , now extinct). make such large, finely woven kaitaka for this and instead are passed on People also wore cloaks at today, although modern variations of through the generations. The cloaks significant events such as deaths traditional kakahu (cloaks), korowai are used at important ceremonies, and marriages. Another prestigious (tagged cloaks) and kahu huruhuru such as university graduations. form of Māori cloak is the kaitaka, (feather cloaks) are still made and High-status cloaks were usually finely woven using superior varieties worn for important events. named and were worn over or across of muka with tāniko borders and Māori anthropologist Dr Sidney one or both shoulders by chiefs or a plain surface with no feather or Moko Mead notes that people people of high birth. During her visit tag attachments. They were among sometimes used cloaks to blanket to New Zealand in 1953–54, Queen the cloaks collected during Cook’s a coffin during the period between Elizabeth II was presented with a three voyages. Perhaps most widely death and burial.18 The feathers small but very important kahu kiwi known is a kaitaka from the first on the cloak symbolised the space which, although somewhat patched voyage, featured in the 1773 portrait between earthly life and the spirit and old, conveyed a great deal of

20 University of Melbourne Collections, issue 13, December 2013 mana (a term for power used in and construct a suitable hanging the CCMC, where conservators many Pacific countries). We can see system that would protect a cloak sewed a removable calico pocket by this gift just how significant kahu of these dimensions. Dr Lander was along the top inner edge of the kiwi are. very helpful in answering questions weaving, so that we could hang the about exhibiting the cloak and cloak from a batten secured to the The difficulties of dating confirmed that the planned form of wall. We commissioned a customised By searching in New Zealand display, against a wall in an acrylic acrylic cover to fit over the cloak once collections for photographs and case, would be respectful. it was in place. other images of cloaks, we found that The University of Melbourne examples similar to the university’s has expended much care on the Conclusion kahu kiwi were mostly produced cloak over the last decade. As Originally our collection catalogue around 1935. But without more a result it is in a good, stable had recorded the cloak as dating detailed information about the cloak’s condition. The garment had not from any time between the late provenance, we cannot date the been exposed for any length of time 19th century and 1950. We were cloak exactly. Dr Lander advised that previously and it was successfully able to narrow this down slightly: commercial dye may have been used stabilised and treated in 2004 by indications are that this cloak was on the tāniko borders of our cloak. conservator Holly Jones-Amin of designed and created between 1910 The relatively good condition of the the university’s Centre for Cultural and 1950. But our research revealed border panels and the even coverage Material Conservation (CCMC), that even specialists are unable to of the black dye (illustrated opposite) with assistance from students.19 say definitively when the university’s support this theory and are consistent That treatment included removing kahu kiwi was made. with a 20th-century origin. Older, carpet beetle larvae, skin and ; Ideally in future exhibitions we similar cloaks in other collections re-attaching loose feathers; brush- will be able to reveal both sides of have not stood the test of time, the vacuuming the back of the cloak and the garment by displaying it on traditional black paru (mud dye) rehousing it in a customised box for a freestanding support. Modern tending to fade or flake away. storage and transport. This last step weavers greatly appreciate being able ensured that another challenge, that to see how weavers of the past have Preparation for exhibition of transporting the cloak, ideally constructed their textiles. Challenges to address when planning carried flat, could be managed This cloak, through its design, the exhibition and display of a without too much difficulty. The materials and the way it has been garment like the kahu kiwi include cloak is normally stored at an offsite, made, serves to communicate the the overall physical nature of the climate-controlled facility, as it is status and importance of the wearer. cloak, the stability of the hand-woven not easily accommodated in the The University of Melbourne is flax, the attachment of the hundreds Potter store on the Parkville campus. fortunate to hold such an excellent of kiwi feathers and the nature of the In preparation for the 2012 example of a kahu kiwi in its dyes used. We also needed to devise exhibition we moved the cloak to collections.

Jay Miller, Meredith Blake and Xanthe Jujnovich, ‘Feathers and flax’ 21 Jay Miller is assistant collections manager at acquisitions in the chronological order. Also Hutia te rito o te harakeke, the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University process & invoices. Vol. II, commencing Kei whea te korimako e koo? of Melbourne. Xanthe Jujnovich is curator of 1 May 1953. The Leonard Adam Collection Ka rere ki uta, ka rere ki tai. academic programs at the Potter and Meredith of International Indigenous Culture, Kii mai koe ki au, Blake is manager of the Victorian Collections University of Melbourne Art Collection. he aha te mea nui i te ao? Digitisation Project at Museums Australia 5 Such gifts were not always in pristine Maaku e kii atu, (Victoria). condition. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata! 6 Greg Dening, ‘Adam, Leonhard (1891–1960)’, If you pluck out the centre shoot of the flax, Acknowledgements Australian dictionary of biography, vol. 13, Where will the bellbird sing? All information and understandings have Melbourne University Press, 1993. It will fly inland, it will fly seawards. been handed down and learnt from tangata 7 First published 1940; revised and republished If you ask me, What is the most important whenua o Aotearoa, makers and keepers of this several times until 1963. thing in the world? knowledge, and are provided here for the benefit 8 British Museum, Explore highlights: Cloak of I will reply, of research into the precious kahu kiwi held in kiwi feathers (kahu kiwi), www.britishmuseum. People, people, people! the Leonhard Adam Collection of International ( J. Metge, ‘ : Conceptions Indigenous Culture at the University of org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/ Te rito o te harakeke Melbourne. aoa/c/cloak_of_kiwi_feathers_kahu_k.aspx, of the whaanau’, Journal of the Polynesian accessed 19 September 2013. Society, vol. 99, no. 1, 1990, pp. 55–92.) Dr Maureen Lander, a Māori artist, retired academic, and highly regarded weaver of flax and 9 D.R. Simmons, ‘A note on the Lake Hauroko 13 Dr Maureen Lander, conversation at the other materials, provided invaluable assistance burial’, Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 76, Ian Potter Museum of Art, 19 October 2012. in examining and discussing the possible origins no. 3, 1967, pp. 367–8. 14 In the early 20th century kiwi feathers of the university’s kahu kiwi. Dr Lander also 10 New Zealand Department of Conservation, came to predominate cloak weaving. Māori liaised with and referred us to other experts: Native : Kiwi, www.doc.govt.nz/kiwi, guides such as Makareti (known as Maggie Hokimate Harwood (Museum of New Zealand accessed 30 May 2013. Papakura) made kiwi feather cloaks and wore Te Papa Tongarewa), Toi te Rito Maihi and 11 K. Hartnup, L. Huynen, R. Te Kanawa, et them while showing tour groups around Margery Blackman. We also thank the Centre al., ‘Ancient DNA recovers the origins of Rotorua. Kahu kiwi were also presented to for Cultural Materials Conservation for its Māori feather cloaks’, Molecular Biology and British royalty and other dignitaries and assistance. Evolution, vol. 28, issue 10, 2011, pp. 2741–50. gained popularity as high-status cloaks during 12 The New Zealand ‘flax’ plantharakeke the 20th century. (Phormium tenax) was the Māori people’s main 15 Dr Maureen Lander. 1 The exhibition was curated by Joanna Bosse material for making textiles. Its fibre,muka , 16 Te aka Māori-English, English–Māori (exhibitions curator at the Ian Potter Museum was extracted from the leaves. Makers use the dictionary and index, Longman/Pearson of Art), with additional research carried out by same methods today, although garments are Education New Zealand, 2005, online Potter colleagues Jay Miller, Xanthe Jujnovich for prestige or ceremonial use. Makers harvest version, www.maoridictionary.co.nz/maori- and Meredith Blake. the outer leaves, preferably in the morning, dictionary.cfm. 2 Tāniko (or taaniko) describes a form of hand and cut them at an angle so that water cannot 17 Now in the collection of the Lincolnshire weaving resulting in complex geometric run into the stems and rot the centre. Unused County Council, Usher Gallery, Lincoln, UK. patterns. Weavers sometimes used tāniko to material is returned to mulch the plants. Flax 18 Sydney Moko Mead, Traditional Maori identify themselves to their contemporaries, planting, gathering, treatment and crafting are clothing: A study of technological and functional or to identify the tribal or regional origins of guided by long-held protocols. As the growing change, Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed, a cloak. plant represents genealogy and family, these 1969, pp. 208–11. 3 Museum professionals acquiring such life forces continue in the woven cloak. People 19 Holly Jones-Amin (Centre for Cultural works for collections today gather as much recite a karakia (prayer) when harvesting Materials Conservation, University of information as possible on the maker, harakeke, acknowledging the preservation Melbourne), Treatment report on the kahu provenance, materials, symbolism and of nature, ancestry and the life force in the kiwi (accession no. 1960.1318, 2004–05) held meanings of the artefact. plant, all of which are embodied in the at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, University 4 Leonhard Adam, Diary: Entry of all woven garment: of Melbourne.

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