kaitaka
1. (noun) a highly prized cloak made of flax fibre with a tāniko ornamental border.
Nō te taenga mai ka takoto ngā taonga, te parawai, te kaitaka, te kākahu-kura, he nui te taonga, he nui hoki te kaitaka harakeke nei, me ngā patu e rua, kotahi te patu he mere, he akerautangi tētahi, he ōnewa tētahi, ko Oneone te ingoa; ko te Haemata te mere akerautangi rā (JPS 1927:254). / On arrival the gifts were laid out, the fine cloaks of flax fiber and red-feather cloaks, many articles, including many mats and two weapons, one being a wooden mere of akerautangi wood, the other a dark grey stone weapon, the name of which was Oneone, that of the wooden weapon being the Haemata.
2. (noun) variety of harakeke from Hawke's Bay. Superior variety with strong, straight, short narrow blades tapering to a sharp point. Pale yellow-green leaves with bright orange keel and margins. Very fine, tall flower stalks. Muka variety and very good for kaitaka, whāriki, kete and piupiu.
Ka whenutia te tāroa hei whenu; ko te tāpoto, hei aho tēnā (W 1971:385). / The lesser quality flax is twisted as a warp strand; the superior quality flax, that's for the weft strand.
ruawai
1. (noun) variety of harakeke from Te Tai Rāwhiti. Tall, rather bendy leaves. Bright, light blue-green blades. Silver-blue, powdery underside. Black margin and keel. Orange keel and black margin on young leaf. Silver-purple shadings at base of plant. Prized for its long, white silky fibres of superior quality. Ideal for kaitaka, korowai and muka kete. A good raranga flax.
neko
1. (noun) flax fibre cloak with a tāniko border along the bottom - said to be an early type of kaitaka.
Tae rawa mai aua iwi kua pākarukaru katoa ō rātou kākahu Māori; ngā kākahu papai, ngā kaitaka, ngā neko, ngā korowai, ngā tūtata, ngā tuputupu, ngā tōpuni, ngā huru, ngā kākahu onamata o ngā rangatira (White 5 1888:76). / When those tribes arrived their Māori garments were all falling apart; the good garments were kaitaka (flax fibre cloaks with tāniko ornamental borders), neko (flax fibre cloaks with tāniko ornamental borders along the bottom), korowai (cloaks ornamented with black twisted thrums), tūtata cloaks, tuputupu cloaks, tōpuni (dogskin cloaks of dark hair with white borders), huru (white dogskin cloaks), the traditional garments of chiefs.
