Phormium tenax, New Zealand flax, has long been a staple material for weavers but it was not always just used by hand-weavers.
In the latter part of the 19th Century and into the Twentieth, flax was commercially grown for use in factories where hard-wearing floor coverings and mats were made. In a fascinating film, complete with Received Pronunciation commentary and rather stirring music, the preparation of flax for making these cloths is shown.
Interestingly, the traditional Māori method of stripping the green covering of the flax fibres with the edge of a mussel shell to extract the muka, the soft fibres for weaving, is mentioned in the film. As can be seen in this thread about the preparation of muka, the usual method of mechanisation produces a somewhat lumpy and clumsy fibre, but the use of mussel shells might have made a much finer, better product. If any readers have information about this please email.
Of course, these days we are much more aware and the use of Māori patterns with their cultural significance for this kind of commercial activity without permission would cross the boundary between appreciation and appropriation. Wouldn’t it be good though to see what the pieces being woven in the film looked like in colour?