Kōrero Nehe: Kete Taniko

Kia ora and welcome to our first kōrero nehe blog post here on he kōrero o te wā – a fortnightly feature where you can learn all about the history of objects and places around the Wellington region. This month our focus is on items which are part of the Taonga Māori collection at Te Papa.

I would like to introduce you to an item which is attributed to my own iwi, Ngati Porou. The item below is known as a kete taniko (a bag with fine embroidery or weaving in a geometric pattern). It is a rare example as it has a variety of geometric designs. It is made of dyed muka (flax fibre) and is dated at 1800–1900. The weaver is unknown.

ketetaniko
Image and information used with permission from Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

This kete taniko was acquired in 1907 from the high-ranking East Cape chief Matutaera (Tuta) Nihoniho (Ngäti Porou), along with a collection of other Māori taonga.

If you’re interested in checking out other items from Te Papa’s Taonga Māori collection, I suggest you check out this book from our catalogue:

Syndetics book coverIcons nga taonga : from the collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.