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| M09123 - Tile Art - Kowhaiwhai - design Toru |
| Wall mounted/ free standing Kowhaiwhai feature Tile with related story to back. Made from three layers of stained and laser cut MDF Board. Presented in stylish window envelope - Overall size 140 x 140 x 10mm. Kowhaiwhai originally means: painted scroll rafter patterns and ornamentation on traditional houses. The Maori people brought a culture, which included Kowhaiwhai patterns, from Polynesia hundreds of years ago. The oldest known Kowhaiwhai are the patterns painted on the canoe paddles (hoe). When the use of canoes declined, Kowhaiwhai developed to become part of the design of wharenui, meeting houses, the new symbol of pride. The kowhaiwhai patterns are found on the rafters (heke) or on the ridgepole (tahu) in the wharenui (meeting houses). The kowhaiwhai patterns represent tribal genealogy and therefore differ from tribe (iwi) to tribe. Each pattern has deep spiritual significance. They also help to illustrate the mana (spiritual power) of the house, the mana of the ancestor and the mana of the people. |
Matariki Gallery - Maori Kunst
