Te Papa's Blog

Pareu kiri'au (hula skirt); Te Papa; Gift of Mrs E. M. Paterson, 1954

This striking 1920s pareu kiri’au (hula skirt) from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, is made from long narrow strips of hibiscus bast fibre. Around the waistband, is blue cloth, with orange and yellow diamonds, which have been machine sewn onto the band. At the base of the waistband, hang red-dyed tassels, each tied with a single puka seed. The base of the pareu has been dipped in red dye, providing a contrast to the natural colour of the pareu. This example combines natural and imported products, with a preference for blue cloth, and red dye. The tassels around the hips, add another layer of movement, once the dancer is in full motion. 

Dance costumes are often made to capture the graceful and vigorous movements of the dancer. At times costume makers combine natural materials with imported and manufactured goods. As curators, we look for colour and style to indicate a specific time period, while providing a clue about the wearer, and the maker.

This pareu, collected in the early 1920s, was gifted, along with other items, to the museum by Edith Paterson in 1954. Edith and her husband John worked and travelled intermittently in the Cook Islands during the 1920s, when John helped to build the Avarua wharf in Rarotonga.