The earliest examples of Māori carving share common characteristics with Polynesian carving of the same period. However, over time Māori developed their own unique carving styles. In the 20th century there was a renaissance of traditional Māori …

Whakairo – Māori carving by Brett Graham. The earliest examples of Māori carving share common characteristics with Polynesian carving of the same period. However, over time Māori developed their own unique carving styles.

‘Eastern square style’ The other major regional style is the ‘eastern square style’ from the Bay of Islands, Thames, East Coast, Rotorua, the south of Te Ika-a-Māui (the North Island) and Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island).This style is so-named because of the broad, squat nature of the body types, with the head usually about a third of the entire composition.

Whakairo – Māori carving by Brett Graham. I te wā tuaukiuki, he rite tonu te whakairo Māori me ngā whakairo a Te Moananui-a-Kiwa. Nāwai ka kukune ake tētahi whakairo anō. I te rau tau 1920 ka puāwai mai anō te whakairo Māori tūturu, ā, he tini ngā whare whakairo hōu i …

The whare whakairo (carved meeting house) is seen as synonymous with Māori architecture. These beautiful houses are often named after – and seen as the personification of – ancestors.

According to some traditions, a whare whakairo (carved meeting house) symbolically represents the Māori cosmology (view of the universe). Inside the house lies Te Pō, the world of darkness, while the exterior represents Te Ao Mārama, the world of light, clarity and growth.

Whare whakairo. The best-known structure built in accordance with Māori culture is the whare whakairo (carved meeting house). This is typically a single large room with a pitched roof extended past the front wall to form an open porch.

Whare whakairo – symbol of the world Next. In one tradition, the wharenui (meeting house) is seen as a metaphor for the world. On the outside of the house is Te Pō, or darkness. On the inside is Te Ao Mārama – the world of light. The floor represents Papatūānuku (the earth mother). It is connected by the posts of the house to the ridgepole.

This ancient representation of the rainbow god Uenuku is one of the greatest taonga of the Tainui people. It is thought to date from about 1400, and is unlike all other known Māori carvings but resembles some Hawaiian traditional carvings. Uenuku was lost during a …

Rukuhia te ata o te whakairo Rukuhia te ata o te wānanga Rukuhia te ata o te wharekura. Whano, whano, hari mai te toki, Haumi e, hui e, tāiki e! Delve deep into the image of carving, Delve deep into the essence of ...