Piupiu – Korirangi Pattern – Adult Male 34″ waist

Description

Piupiu (Flax Skirts) take a long time to make, and the weaver needs considerable skill, experience, resources (harakeke) and good weather.

They are made from a specific type of Harakeke (NZ Flax), different from the varieties we use for kete, pikau or other “woven” items. The fresh leaf is first cut on the dull side on a pattern board. Then the front (shiny/waxy) membrane is scraped off (haro) with a mussel shell to reveal the underlying muka (fibre). Next, they get boiled and left to dry, curl and bleach (and closely watched so they do not curl up into each other). When we have enough pokinikini (strips) for a specific size, we whatu them (put them together using either muka or jute string), and then they get dyed to reveal the pattern.

We rarely have any in stock as they are mostly made to order and size. So, this is a rare opportunity to buy one outright without waiting time.