E Kete: Baskets from the Cook Islands

In celebration of Cook Islands language week 2016, we installed three kete or baskets from the southern Cook Islands in our Te Kākano display case. Piri Marearai selected the works and wrote both the English and Cook Islands labels.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

The people of Mangaia from the southern Cook Islands call these baskets kete tataī ta‘i (single-handle baskets) or kete tataī rua (two-handle baskets).

This kete tataī ta‘i is made from pandanus, dye and cotton thread.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

E kapiki ana te iti tangata Mangaia i teia tu kete e ko te kete tataī ta‘i. Te vai ra te kete tataī rua.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Kete tataī ta‘i are used to carry lightweight objects like combs, necklaces, and one or two fruits. Kete tataī rua can carry heavier objects.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

E taangaanga iāna teia kete no te apai i te au apinga mamangika mei te peru, te ei e te vai atura.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

The brown fibre on the two kete tataī ta‘i is from a special variety of pandanus called ‘ara amoa (Pandanus whitmeeanus), which is said to come from Sāmoa. It becomes a dark brown colour when dried. The lighter coloured raū ‘ara (Pandanus spurius) is used for the kete tataī rua. The red coloured overlay is fibre from pūraka or swamp taro plant (Cyrtosperma merkusii).

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ko te akamanea muramura i runga i teia kete e pakiri moko puraka teia tei ta kara ia ki te muramura. Ko te akamanea karaea to‘u e ‘ara amoa teia.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

The diamond motifs on the three baskets are commonly used by Cook Islands women. They are symbolic of the importance of looking after one’s own family with the sharp edges representing tools/weapons and the square motifs representing ownership.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Ko te akairo ta tatau taimana e taangaanga putuputu iana teia e te vaine tini ei akairo no ta ratou akaperepere i to ratou kopu tangata. E akairo teia no ta ratou au apinga angaanga e te au apinga paruru i to ratou kopu tangata. Ko te ta tatau pi‘api‘a e ‘akairo no te aūa ei koropini i te kopu tangata.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

This kete tataī rua is made from pandanus, red dye and swamp taro plant fibre.

Kete (Bag)Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira

Credits: Story

Marearai, Piri. E Kete: Baskets from the Cook Islands. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 28 July 2016. Updated: 1 September 2016.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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