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Pulou fefine

human history
  • Other Name

    Hat (English)

  • Description

    Pulou lau fā fifine. Pandanus hat worn by women. This pulou is made up of two types of lau fā (pandanus leaf). The first type is undyed and a natural light brown in colour, the second has been dyed black through a method which sees the pandanus being soaked in a drum for one week and then boiled with green selie leaves.

    These strips of light brown and black pandanus have then been woven with a technique known as lalaga tikitiki, producing an alternating zig zag pattern which according to the old description is called 'kilakila uli.' The entire body of the pulou from the centrepoint of the crown down to the papaki (brim) features this patterning. The hele pulou (hat band) is also made from the same mixture of brown and black lau fā and features a bow or flower at the front, also made from this material but woven using the decorative pekepeke technique/style. An ulu niu (hat block) may have been used at the beginning of the weaving process to ensure that the shape of the crown remained uniform. Hats like these are worn by women for special occasions.

  • Place
  • Accession Number
    2015.14.2
  • Accession Date
    17 Mar 2015
  • Other Id

    56756.2 (ethnology)

  • Department
Pulou fefine, 2015.14.2, 56756.2, All Rights Reserved

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