Māori Inspired Wooden Gifts & Souvenirs
Our wood products collection features a range of carvings and décor pieces brought to life through natural timber. From traditional Māori designs to contemporary gift items, each piece is crafted with character and warmth. These wooden treasures celebrate New Zealand’s artistic heritage while offering versatile gifting options for homes, offices, and personal collections.
From decorative panels to small sculptures and keepsakes, each item is selected for durability, detail, and cultural significance. Discoveries provides unique pieces carved with care and designed to inspire.
Wood carving has always been an important part of Māori culture. The waka(canoes) used by the Māori to travel to New Zealand were made from wood and were intricately decorated with Māori carvings to show a tribe's mana and wealth as well as for their mystical powers. They give a narrative of the tribal history.
Māori 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 Māori 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 Māori 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 Māori wind musical instruments.
Today you can buy one of our Māori artworks for yourself or as a Māori gift for your friends or whanau. These items are beautiful functional works of art.