MAKING MATS

Te Ao Hou, Spring 1953, Page 32

MAKING MATS No better description of mat-making could be given than that by Te Rangihiroa, published in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute in 1923. We present below brief notes on each of the photographs printed in this issue. In these notes we quote extensively from the late Sir Peter Buck's work. 1. The leaf is split into strips: ‘The margins and midrib of the leaf are first split off with the thumb-nail. The two half-blades freed by the removal of the midrib are held together with the left hand while the right thumb-nail splits them into even widths, As the thumb-nail worked across the blade from right to left, forefinger and middle finger followed through the openings made. Holding the butt end of the blade with the left hand, the right fingers are simply drawn along the blade to the tip, and completely separate all the divisions. Holding the mid-part of the blade with the freed hand (as in the picture), the fingers of the left hand were slipped between the divisions, and ran them down to the butt junction.’ 2. The Beginning: Polly follows a common method of beginning, in using unsplit butt portions. The butts have not the full width of the leaf; most of them have four strips attached.

Mrs Parekohatu Tihi weaving a mat 3. Weaving: This is similar to the weaving process in baskets, described in the Summer issue of Te Ao Hou. ‘When the butt ends of the strips (whenu) have been fixed in a straight line, the strips lie parallel to one another. The strips are now crossed diagonally over each other so that alternate strips lie in the same direction. Those leaning towards the right are called “dextral” strips and those towards the left “sinistral”. The plaiting of the strips is not done singly, but in a series. Two dextral strips at a time are lifted up with the left hand (see picture) and the right hand picks up and slips the appropriate sinistral strip along the space between the dextral strips that are held up and those that are lying flat. The dextral strips that were lifted up are now dropped and those that were lying flat are picked up in their turn. The next sinistral strip is now passed between.” The action is then repeated. 4. Note the position of the left foot which steadies the work. The pattern of the mat is now clearly visible. It is a ‘twilled two’ (rangarua), resulting from two dextral strips being used to one sinistral. 5. Before moving from one part of the work to another, a loop is made to hold the working edge. 6. Finishing off (tapiki): ‘The mat is turned over so that the finish may not be seen on the upper surface. When the mat is in its normal position, the dextral strips form the upper layer and the sinistrals the lower. On turning the mat, the sinistrals form the upper layer, but they now lean towards the right, while the lower layer of dextrals lean towards the left. To avoid confusion it is now better to call the upper layer the dextral and the lower sinistral.’ Let us describe now how to turn the sinistral S1 and the Dextral D1 (shown in figure) back into the body of the mat. ‘It will be noted that D1 passes under S1. It is then twisted over at right angles to its own course, and laid along the course of S1. D1 is now fixed down by dropping D2 across it in its normal course. The turning operation is completed by doubling back S1 over D2 to lie over the turned-back portion of D1, and along its own course.’ 7. The mat is then turned the right way up to show the finish. The hand of the artist. Photos: John Ashton