A plaited belt, or kilt of roughly scutched flax about 6 cm. wide with woven backing. the body of the kilt has ten weft rows which are single-pair twine. the waist is composed of thick three ply braid. the weft row width is 2.5 to 3 cm. scraped tags are used as warps of a light brown color, with free warp ends to form tassels. a few tags are tied into single-pair twine weft. prepared and mounted for exhibition in "magnificent voyagers," but never used. This kilt was was collected by Lt. Charles Wilkes, leader of the historic United States Exploring Expedition, the first American expedition dedicate to scientific exploration to circumnavigate the globe.
From card: "though once called a female cincture, this is actually a man's hoka belt-s.h. riesenberg. inventoried 1975."
- Title: Man's Kilt, "Hoka"
- Location: North Island / Bay of Islands, New Zealand, Polynesia
- Physical Dimensions: L: 62cm, 62cm UNKNOWN: 63cm W: 105cm, 105cm
- Type: Kilt
- Rights: This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. The image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. http://www.si.edu/termsofuse
- External Link: View this object record in the Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center
- USNM Catalog Number(s): 66A00050
- Photo Credit: Donald E. Hurlbert, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
- Field: Ethnology
- Date Collected: 1840
- Accession Date: 1858
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