Māori traditional textiles

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Māori traditional textiles are the indigenous textiles of the Māori people of New Zealand.

The Māori made textiles from a number of plants, including harakeke, wharariki, pingao, kiekie and toetoe.

[edit] Harakeke and wharariki

Main article: Phormium

The two species of Phormium, harakeke and wharariki, are New Zealand plants with properties similar to flax. Phormium fibre cloaks served as rain gear similar to Japanese rice straw capes. The Māori incorporated kiwi feathers and feathers from other birds. The Māori practised advanced weft twining in phormium fibre cloaks.^[1]