Story: Whakairo – Māori carving - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New ...
The wood used for carving symbolised Tāne, the god of the forest. When carved it was considered to take on the properties of the figures it represented. Stone or greenstone adzes and chisels were traditionally used in carving.
Page 2. Carving materials and techniques - Te Ara: The …
The trees used to provide wood for whakairo (carving) represented Tāne, the god of the forest, and carving timber was sometimes referred to as the embodiment of Tāne. Special rituals were required to fell trees such as tōtara for carving.
Page 1. Legendary origins of carving - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of …
The legend of Ruatepupuke establishes carving as a taonga tuku iho, a divine gift from the gods handed down from ancestors, and therefore an art form that requires ritual respect. It also indicates that the tradition of carving was established in Hawaiki and brought to New Zealand.
Whakairo – Māori carving - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New …
The trees used to provide wood for whakairo (carving) represented Tāne, the god of the forest, and carving timber was sometimes referred to as the embodiment of Tāne. Special rituals were required to fell trees such as tōtara for carving.
Page 4. Carving, 1500 to 1800 - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New …
During this period, two classical regional styles of carving emerged, with many local variations. The first, known as the ‘serpentine’ (tuare) style, is associated with the Hokianga, Hauraki, East Cape and Taranaki, and is exemplified by Ngāti Whātua carvings.
Origin of Maori Carving – 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand – …
Origin of Maori Carving. According to the tradition of some tribes, carving was invented by Rauru, the son of a remote ancestor named Toi.
Page 4. Ruatepupuke and the origin of carving - Te Ara: The ...
The story of the discovery of whakairo (wood carving) from under the sea is famous in Māori tradition. It tells of the imprisonment of Te Manuhauturuki, the son of Ruatepupuke. Te Manu was captured by Tangaroa, taken to his house deep in the ocean, and mounted on the gable.
Page 1. Stone tools - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Within perhaps 50–100 years the main sources of suitable stone were known, and several major centres of stone-tool manufacture were established. In the 1300s, Māori were transporting both finished tools and selected raw materials around the country.
Page 5. Carving, 19th century - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New …
The 19th century was a period of dramatic change as Māori experienced the impact of colonisation. One impact was the introduction of guns, which proved deadly during the intertribal ‘musket wars’. Those who possessed the imported weapons overwhelmed and …
Page 3. Carving before 1500 - Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New …
Due to the perishable nature of wood and the difficulty of preserving it, few wooden carvings from the earliest period of Māori society have survived. However, stone amulets and necklace reels made in this era from moa or whale bone, stone, or whale ivory are very close in appearance to similar objects found in eastern Polynesia.