Koru

The koru shape, based on an unfurling fern frond, symbolizes new life, growth, and new beginnings in Māori culture, representing perpetual movement, return to origin, and the cyclical nature of life. Its balanced spiral form can also convey harmony, peace, and a continuous connection between the past and future.

The koru is the integral motif of the symbolic and seemingly abstract kōwhaiwhai designs traditionally used to decorate wharenui (meeting houses).

Simple and complex koru designs are an interegral part of the shape and designs in Greenstone and bone carvings.