Josephine Mulvany and Sybil May Mulvany were New Zealand weavers. They established the first commercial hand weaving studio in New Zealand. A large quantity of their work is held at Te Papa, in Wellington and the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Early life Josephine Mulvany was born on 7 May 1899 and Sybil Mulvany was born on 6 March 1901. Both sisters were born in Parnell, Auckland to parents Thomas John Mulvany and Mary Reilly. In 1909 they were part of the first intake of students at Baradene College of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic boarding school. Their mother died of Uterine cancer in 1912 but left money for her children to finish their education. Their father died in 1916 leaving them the family property. After finishing school Josephine found employment at a photography studio in Auckland and Sybil trained as a nurse. Career In 1926 the sisters left for the United Kingdom. They spent a year touring around England, Ireland, France and Italy in a new Renault open tourer. For two women to travel without a chaperoned was quite significant in the 1920s. They following year they began a three month course at the London School of Weaving. After graduating they purchased looms and other equipment required for starting a hand weaving studio and returned to New Zealand. In 1928, they opened their first studio 'Taniko Weavers' in New Castle, Auckland. The name, Tāniko, refers to the traditional Māori method of weaving however, the weaving produced by the sisters contained no Māori influences. The next year the sisters moved their business to a larger more central location on Darby Street. The second studio had two storeys, allowing for a shop on the first level and a separate workspace of 6 looms on the second. Two more assistant weavers were employed and trained to help with demand. They were Betty Crombe, who was employed from 1929 until 1935, and Zoe Pabst, who was employed at the beginning of the 1930s for two years. Through training these two women the sisters expertise that they had gained in England was passed on to further weaving in New Zealand that had yet to encounter their more proficient techniques. Part of the Arts and Crafts movement of the 1930s the business was designed to showcase the value of handcrafts and their authenticity. A small loom was placed in the store window to be used by