A sturdy bone needle would have been needed to tightly weave the fibres into a stiff matting. The tanga consists of a vest backed by a large protective guard board secured around the front by two side bands that tie together at the waist area. The resulting garment is very effective at protecting the main organs of the body against lethal weapons of war. The tanga is decorated ira n atu (human hair) overlaid on the tanga in small diamond shapes arranged across the guard board and the front of the vest. The entire tanga is dark brown in colour due to the natural colour of the kora. While the making of te kora was primarily the work of women, the making of bwai ni buaka was the specialisation of select male experts carefully guarding their konwledge and often passing it through family lines. Bwai ni buaka were custom made to be worn by male warriors. Rituals would be performed as part of the making of bwai ni buaka as well as for the person for whom it was intended.