Maori Inspired Wood Carvings

Wood carving has always been an important part of Maori culture. The waka(canoes) used by the Maori to travel to New Zealand were made from wood and were intricately decorated with Maori carvings to show a tribe's mana and wealth as well as for their mystical powers. They give a narrative of the tribal history.

Maori wood carving traditionally used a range of native timbers, such as Kauri, Rimu, and Totara. Today some other timbers such as Mahogany, Swamp Kauri and Pine are commonly used.

Each Maori wood carving tells a story and records a piece of history.

Some of the popular items carved are:

• Tiki Carving – which depicts the first man in Maori legend.
• Carved Patu or Mere – A sort of broad-bladed club weapon.
• Taiaha – A closed-quartered staff weapon used for short, sharp strikes or stabbing thrusts.
• Putorino and Porotiti – Traditional Maori wind musical instruments.

Today you can buy one of our Maori artworks for yourself or as a Maori gift for your friends or whanau. These items are beautiful functional works of art.