The twine used is two-ply cord made from the inner bark of the olona plant ( Touchardia latifolia) of which the fibre has been proved to be stronger than manila hemp. The foundation to which the feathers are attached is netting made with same technique as fish-nets, but with a very fine mesh (pl. A good deal of variation occurs in the length of the neck-border and the depth of its concave curve (pl. They are deeper in the mid-line at the back than in front, the general back-depth being about 12 inches though it may reach the exceptional depth of 28 inches. The capes have a concave neck-border, a longer convex lower border, and two straight side-edges which meet in front to complete the circular shape of the capes. As indicated by the number preserved, they evidently became the fashionable form, and were supplanting earlier types. The circular capes are the most highly developed type as regards shape, technique, and colour designs. This article is an attempt to show the significance of the rectangular capes and the ti-leaf rain-cape in the chain of local evolution in technique that led to the more complex circular capes and cloaks. In Hawaii, the importance of rectangular capes of coarser and simpler technique has been overlooked probably because of their rarity. For New Zealand garments, I was able by an analysis of weaving-technique to establish their local evolution from the simple rain-cape to the more elaborate types of dress cloaks (1 1). The circular type of cape is the end-result of a series of inventions that progressed through a number of simpler techniques. The unique shape of the Hawaiian feather-helmet with its raised median crest, has suggested Spanish influence in spite of the fact that the theory of Spanish discovery before Cook has been exploded. The circular shape is so highly specialized for a Polynesian community that the possibility of diffusion from some non-Polynesian source has been suggested. The capes best known are circular in form, and the bright red and yellow feathers of which they are principally made are so closely attached to the foundation material that the overlapping rows of feathers form a smooth surface that recembles velvet or plush. THE feather capes and cloaks of Hawaii are beautiful products of native craftsmanship.
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