Page 207 - Lindsey Philpott "The Ultimate Book of Decorative Knots"

8 netting and woven

knots

Netting is not woven into fancy patterns any more, Forms oF Hanai
which seems a shame. Fortunately, there have been The method of manufacture was to take a ring, or
some academic papers on the subject over the years. piko, and attach to it a series of loops and decorative
One of these I found particularly intriguing, not netting in the centre of the bag, the decorative
least because it covers an ancient culture that is now netting known generally as the hanai or opu. The
a part of the United States. This paper was prepared upper part, used for suspending the load, was then
by John F.G. Stokes in 1906 and titled ‘Hawaiian known as the kakai or aliki, which was formed with
nets and netting’. It appeared in W.T. Brigham’s (Ed.) larger loops brought together at the auamo. The
Mat and basket weaving of the ancient Hawaiians water, food, or clothing was then carried by a stick-
[Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, 2010]. The bearer called an aipuupuu. Woe unto anyone who
islands of Hawaii are not known now for their fancy disrupted the carrying of supplies for the chief! The
netting, but it was a fiercely traditional practice at patterns used were specific to the general populace
one time, with some forms being reserved for the or to the chiefs.
king alone. Their netted bags were known as koko. A person who was skilled in making the koko
When suspended from a stick (called an auamo, was known as a kahu and his services may even have
or bearing stick), they were used to carry gourds and been offered by the king to show his friends some
bowls full of fresh water, food, and even clothing. favours. The general populace could also make koko
The netting was constructed from coconut husk and would offer them as payment of taxes. The
fibres or bound pandanus leaves. best of the koko would be kept for the king and his