Kauhou: Behind the weave

A proud line of ancestry, affirming confidence in our inherent knowledge and ability, emboldening our uniqueness, our sacredness. He rere kauhou ariki, nā te aitanga-a-Tiki!

It is recorded by some that Tiki was the first man to created by the atua (god) Tāne Mahuta. Other accounts claim Tiki and Hine-ahu-one as the first human pair to come to be. Others consider Tiki, or Tiki-āhua, to be an atua himself, and the progenitor of humankind. Man, god, or demi-god, there seems to be consensus that humankind descends from Tiki’s lineage, as expressed in the saying, ‘Te aitanga a Tiki’ also used as a term of endearment for humanity and to designate persons of high birth.

Whakapapa - ways of being, knowing and doing

The mumu pattern, checkered style body, traditionally reflects tribal connections and intermarriages and acknowledges the formation of our unique fingerprint founded in whakapapa. This blanket design story is inspired by Tiki and reflects the notion of whakapapa, cherishing the interconnectedness of all things and our relationships with people and the world around us.

Kauhou reflects our past through to our future generations and our inherent responsibility to “shape the future well.”

“We are points where our past and future generations meet, points at which past generations reflect into and through to future generations (and vice versa)—points of intergenerational dialogue. As meeting points between generations, we have the ability to shape how reflections of the past refract through us into the future. In doing so, we can shape the future” (Burgess & Painting, 2020).

Inherent wisdom 

The aronui borders reflect the combination of our inherent and acquired knowledge of the natural world. They are symbolic of our pursuit of this knowledge in practice and the accumulative power of our experiences, as we grow our understanding of our relationships with the rest of existence. 

In the early development phase of this design, a vision of Tiki materialised as a chief dressed in our treasured regalia. Wrapped in a ‘kahu kuri’, a cloak of native dog fur reserved only for those of esteemed rank, the ‘awe’ or long tassel edges are an ode to the long tasseled hair of the kuri, a symbol of strength of character and leadership.

We are borne of a legacy of continual creation - thereby, we are vested with the ability to create because of what has created us.

Kauhou is one of three blankets in our Kurawaka Limited Edition Collection, launching 01.05.25.