Story: Māori weaving and tukutuku – te raranga me te whatu

Zoom in to see details of this superb kahu kurī (cloak made from the skin of the native dog). This example, from the Te Āti Awa people of Wellington, was made in the early 1800s. Narrow strips of dogskin have been sewn onto a base of muka (flax fibre). Tassels of dog hair decorate the neck of the garment, and its edges are trimmed with hair of contrasting colours.