First edition published 1952 as an instructional booklet with title Taniko weaving how to make Maori belts and other useful articles.

Sir Hirini Moko Mead's book on taniko weaving, Te Whatu Taniko, Taniko Weaving: Tradition and Technique is recognised as a key reference work to this important tradition of Maori craft. First published in 1958 and in its previous edition in 1999, the book serves as a reference work to artists, enthusiasts, students and teachers . Te Whatu Taniko relates both the history and 'how-to' of Maori taniko weaving in one accessible volume. Clearly written with numerous illustrations and photos, the book describes the origins of weaving, its role in Maori society, contemporary expression, and steps towards learning the craft.

Weaving is more than just a product of manual skills. From the simple rourou (food basket) to the prestigious kahukiwi (kiwi feather cloak), weaving is endowed with the very essence of the spiritual values of M ori people. The first M ori settlers brought the knowledge of weaving with them. In Aotearoa they found new plant materials, including the versatile harakeke (New Zealand flax). They also incorporated feathers from birds and the skin and hair of their dogs. They wove practical items necessary for everyday life. But they also wove exceptional items such as fine mats and wall panels and, above all, kakahu (cloaks) of immense significance, which bestow mana (prestige) on both weaver and wearer. This major new publication opens the storeroom doors of the Te Papa Tongarewa M ori collections, illuminating the magnificent kakahu in those collections and the art and tradition of weaving itself. Five informative chapters, each written by an expert contributor, reveal the history and significance of weaving, every page sumptuously illustrated with detailed, all-new photographs by Te Papa photographer Norm Heke. In addition, forty rare and precious kakahu are featured specially within this book, with glossy colour detail illustrations of each, plus historical and contextual images and graphic diagrams of weaving techniques. These are accompanied by engaging descriptions bringing together information on every cloak its age, materials, and weaving technique with quotes from master weavers and other experts, stories of the cloaks, details of their often remarkable provenance. A full glossary, illustrated guide to cloak types, and index are included.

This is a beautifully presented book featuring some stunning images and concise accounts of the concepts and values of traditional and contemporary Maori weaving. Featuring some of New Zealand's foremost Maori expert weavers, The Eternal Thread: The Art of Maori Weaving celebrates innovation and development of weaving and plaiting as art forms in modern times while acknowledging the technology developed by weavers through the past centuries.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1976. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived