NZ Artiste

 Traditional maori weaving.

This summer my brother and sis-in-law brought some of our favourite kiwi treats and necklaces made with seaglass and shells. The spirit of home.   

 They also brought with them these beautiful woven bags

They are woven by Bay of Plenty weaver Rawina Gray.  She has been weaving for the past 20 years, taught by her grandmother

A kete

I love these woven bags but sadly never knew the Maori name for them

Thanks to Rawinia's story I now know their correct name and history

'They are woven from natural NZ fibres, leaves of flax, harakeke, pingao from the sand dunes and kiekie, a plant from the bush' 

Aren't the colours stunning!

This bag has been created using a special flax dye

and has been 'hijacked' by my granddaughters who are sharing it between them.  

Rawinia writes

'To me these kete represent the land, the sea and the air.  Flax is abundant here (in New Zealand), feathers representing wildlife (our Maori cloaks are adorned with feathers) and the paua shell*, a seafood found in the waters of Tauranga/Te Puke area in the beautiful country we live in,  The handle of the kete is fibre extracted from the flax leaf, called muka.'

*paua  - abalone

A kete I have since my days at Te Puke High School

The mother of my best friend Gwen was Maori.  A lovely lady.  She made the most delicious fried bread, Paraoa Parai, and she wove this bag for me.  It's over 60 years old now and has followed me around the world.  The bag has begun to fray and I need to find a way to preserve it for another 60 years.  Maybe put it in a glass case

Thanks kiddos and thanks Rawinia.  These kete are now cherished by kiwis living on a Greek island.