Pareu (Waist garment)

Pareu. Dance skirt. Composite materials used in its manufacture. Mutiple strands of kiriau (Tree Hibiscus, Hibiscus tiliaceus fibre) thickly layered. Top of the strands woven into a wide band across the garment with dark blue material overlaid on top of this section. Decorative elements sewn into this waistband portion include Pupu Rengarenga (Yellow Necklace-shell, Orobophana pacifica), Tungangi (Pacific Strawberry Cockle, Fragum fragum), Ua Puka (Lantern Tree seeds, Hernandia nymphaeifolia), poepoe (Job's Tears, Coix lacryma-jobi), Ua Mata Koviriviri (Red-bead Tree seeds, Adenanthera pavonina), all sewn into the fabric with bright red cotton. Garment has decorative kiriau akatautau (tassels) of natural and dyed-red colour. Lower part of of the kiriau skirt is natural in colour but dyed red at the lower edge.