Woven Basket in Māori Culture: Tradition and Artistry

In the heart of Aotearoa, woven baskets crafted by Māori artisans reflect deep cultural values, timeless skill, and a profound connection to the land and ancestors.

In Te Reo Māori, the woven basket is known as "kete", a versatile container imbued with spiritual and practical significance. Traditionally made from harakeke (flax), kete serve both everyday and ceremonial purposes, symbolizing resourcefulness, sustainability, and respect for natural resources. Each weave carries stories passed through generations, connecting past and present.

Māori kete weaving is a revered art form, requiring patience, precision, and intimate knowledge of native plants. The process begins with harvesting flax sustainably, followed by meticulous preparation and intricate braiding techniques. These baskets are used to store food, carry gifts, and honor ancestors, embodying principles of whanaungatanga (relationship) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship).

Today, contemporary Māori artists are revitalizing kete weaving, blending traditional methods with modern designs to express cultural pride and identity. Exhibited in galleries and worn in ceremonial events, these woven treasures continue to strengthen Māori heritage while inspiring new generations to embrace ancestral knowledge.

The woven basket in Māori culture—known as "kete"—is more than craft; it is a living testament to resilience, sustainability, and cultural continuity. By honoring this tradition, we celebrate the enduring spirit of the Māori people. Discover authentic woven kete and connect with New Zealand’s rich indigenous legacy.

Kete whakairo (patterned flax baskets) on display at the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, Japan Kete are traditional baskets made and used by New Zealand 's Māori people. [1] They are traditionally woven from the leaves of New Zealand flax called harakeke and have two handles at the top. [2] Other materials are sometimes used, including sedge grass or the leaves of the nikau palm and.

Pre-European Aotearoa/New Zealand, a time when Māori baskets were prolific, used as containers for food storage, gathering shellfish, fern roots, ceremonial rituals, medicinal plants and serving food. Māori baskets are a combination of Polynesian weaving techniques. Māori baskets, known as kete (basket used as a carrying vessel), are varied.

During Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, we feature objects from Asia and the Pacific in the Maxwell's collections. Kete are traditional carrying baskets woven from plant materials. Made and used by New Zealand's Māori people, kete continue to be an important part of Māori culture today.

Although utilitarian, kete have important symbolism for Māoris, as they represent a container. Kete are woven baskets made by the Māori people of New Zealand Kete come in a variety of sizes, from very small baskets used for gifts to larger ones similar in size to a large handbag. The size and shape of a kete are often designed with a specific purpose in mind, such as storing and carrying food or other items.

They can also be used for decorative purposes, buried with the placenta. A collection of kete baskets displayed at the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan. New Zealand flax, or phormium tenax This passing down of generational knowledge is woven into the very fibres of the kete basket and can be traced back to Māori mythology.

kete uruuru tau 1. (noun) basket of the knowledge of war, agriculture, woodwork, stonework and earth work - one of the three baskets of knowledge and an alternative name from the Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tahu traditions for te kete tuatea, although defined a little differently. Discover our hand-made Māori flex weave Pounamu Kete Baskets and Pouches, perfect for storing and protecting your Greenstone Jewellery.

Shop online here. My collection of kete (or woven Maori bags) is mostly made to order - traditional flax weaving, based in Whangarei, Northland, made by Allflax, Wendy Naepflin. Find the worth of your New Zealand Maori artefacts kete (bag or basket).

Research our price guide with auction results on 64 items from $19 to $14,594. Kete are traditional baskets made and used by New Zealand 's Māori people. [1] They are traditionally woven from the leaves of New Zealand flax called harakeke and have two handles at the top.

[2] Other materials are sometimes used, including sedge grass or the leaves of the nikau palm and cabbage tree. [1][3] Modern designs may also use dyed materials. [4][5] Some kete, known as kete.