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Maori porcelain doll dressed in PiuPiu with pois.
Piupiu is the only item of traditional Maori costume, which is still sometimes worn and made roughly to the same technique as in olden times. The making of the piupiu is incredibly time consuming and complex. The piupiu has approximately 250 blades of flax, each one of which is treated by hand many times, from its marking, cutting with a mussel shell, stripping of green leaf through to the fibre, fixing, dyeing & drying and weaving of leaves together to form the kilt-like skirt.
The Maori dressed in different designs according to tribe and their rank within the tribe. Dressing was taken very seriously and was considered an art form.
For many centuries, the poi has been an exciting and dynamic feature of Māori performing arts. As an extension of the performer, the poi conveys a myriad of poetic meanings through the interaction of movement, gesture, and emotion.
Poi also feature in important ceremonial occasions for iwi (tribal groups), such as the opening of wharenui (meeting houses) and the launching of waka (canoes). Certain poi traditions also herald the rising of the star constellation, Matariki, for the Māori New Year.
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