New Zealand Flax
Source of Special Travel Gifts

Native flax by Theresa Coulthurst

Flax is growing plentiful all over New Zealand. The phormium tenax is home to swamps and wetlands while phormium cookianum occurs in coastal and mountainous areas.

Blooming flax by Diana Adams

Flax flower

Flax

Candle with harakeke rose

Both have many varieties differing in leaf size, length and colour with blossoms in shades of yellow to deep orange. Today they are home in many other countries for their tough, evergreen, and decorative qualities.

The beginning of Raranga – the art of flax weaving is closely connected to Maori migration and their history in arts and crafts. Coming from a warmer region, realising that known resources were strange to their new homeland they became creative.

Employing their knowledge about weaving the harakeke/ flax variations offered a wealth of robust fibres. With different lengths, colours, and softness the right leaf could be selected to shape various daily utensils for lasting use or one time use.

Clothes like skirts, cloaks, rain cloaks, and baskets for gathering, berries, shells or mats, ropes and tools for fishing were created. Soon their weaving technique evolved from satisfying purely functional needs to create highly valued and decorative items.

Different New Zealand flax plants were cultivated close to pa sites/ settlements in plantations to fulfil demands for this important resource. Like this a steady supply of the best fibres for each task at hand was granted.

In Maori tradition many actions follow a certain protocol – tikanga. So does the harvest and weaving of harakeke. Tikanga instructs about time, weather and wind conditions including who and how as well as the amount to be taken. The treatment of harvested leaves as well as the surplus material is covered. It advices on how to conduct started work and the first finished object round the protocol up.

Over time various parts of harakeke plants gained value for their beneficial properties in regards to medical disorders.

With the Maori urbanisation old wisdom and skills were forgotten. Later in the twentieth century traditional crafts experienced a come back. In present time harakeke weaving holds a central position in Maori cultural identity. In consequence flax weaving rose to new heights and finds its presence more and more often in contemporary arts and crafts.

New Zealand flax became increasingly of commercial interest to European rope producer in mid 19th century and developed to a major export article. Around 1930 the production expanded to woolpacks until replacement through synthetic fibres in the seventies. The flax industry witnessed an end in this progress.

With today’s newly gained heights in its artistic and decorative use for gift baskets the industry successfully explored its properties for skin care products and medical products. The range of products that involve flax is growing.


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