Tāniko weaving is one of the supreme expressions of Māori art. Weaving and dyeing the fibres of native flax creates elaborate, beautiful patterns that are used to adorn clothing, with distinctive styles that have evolved over centuries of creativity.

This has been the standard work on the subject since its first publication as Taniko Weaving in 1952. Since rewritten and updated, Te Whatu Tāniko provides the history and social context for weaving, as well as clear, practical guidelines for making tāniko.

Using the book’s clear and concise graphs and drawings, readers can utilise this book to weave the beautiful patterns within. The instructions can be used as a beginner’s guide or a refresher resource, or simply to enjoy and admire this beautiful artform.

• Hirini Moko Mead, Author

  Sir Hirini Moko Mead is a pre-eminent Māori writer, commentator and scholar. In the course of a distinguished academic career he authored numerous books on Māori art (including Te Toi Whakairo: The Art of Maori Carving, with Oratia Books) and developed the first Department of Māori Studies in the country at Victoria University. He was knighted in 2009 for services to Māori and education. A leader of his iwi (tribe) Ngāti Awa, he lives in Wellington, New Zealand.