Te reeree
Wāhanga PacificRā Tāpiringa 12 Mar 2014Accession Number 2014.18.1Kupu whakaahua Te reeree. Sword. This is a decorative model reeree (sword). It is shaped like a trident. It is made of natural and dyed dried kakoko (a young white leaf from the central…
Te reeree. Sword. This is a decorative model reeree (sword). It is shaped like a trident. It is made of natural and dyed dried kakoko (a young white leaf from the central shoot of the coconut frond), noko (coconut midrib), wool yarn, wi ni bakoa (shark teeth), the claws of the waro and burae ni moa (white chicken feathers). A hard material that has been carved into a trident shape, tapers at the points and is flat in form to create an internal structure of the ree ree (sword). Dyed strands of pink, purple and natural white kakoko has been used to create a woven encasement of the hard internal structure. A series of chevrons are defined through the natural off-white strands of kakoko against the block colouring of pink and purple. The central tapered point is presented through a chequered pattern of pink and natural off-white kakoko. Mid-blue woollen yarn has been bound around the tapered point with white chicken fea thers. The pointed end has been accentuated by loose strands of kakoko pinnules. The sides of the centre part of the ree ree show a pattern of pointed attachments. Four claws of the waro and three wi ni bakoa feature along each side as a pattern. Perforations have been drilled into their base and then wedged between two mid-brown noko to hold them upright. A mid-blue woollen yarn has been threaded through their perforations and then lashed across the noko and ree ree. The two outer points are curved and feature two wi ni bakoa on each side. These follow the same kind of attachment as the central part of the ree ree. Both ends have been bound off with a mid-blue woollen yarn and white burae ni moa.