Woven bodice

Woven bodice. This is a woven bodice garment. It references smocking techniques across the chest area of the bodice. It is made from natural coloured kakoko (young, white central shoot of the coconut palm frond) and te ira (pandanus leaf). When laid out flat, it is rectangular in shape. Flat plaits of te ira form the shoulder straps which have been attached to the top border. The chest part adapts a two-dimensional weaving technique to create decorative patterns. Purple, green, pink and orange synthetic dyed kakoko create the patterns in the 'smocked' sections of the bodice. Attached to the sides are fasteners. A wide, three-ply plaited strip of te ira ties just beneath the bust, then some kora (coconut sennit fibre cordage) loops at the top help fasten the bodice of the breast area.possibly in a crisscross manner. This bodice was made by a Marshallese lady based in Kiribati and married to a Kiribati in 1970.