Āhua brings you a wide-ranging collection of taonga Māori from our Master carvers and weavers, alongside Māori artists and practitioners throughout Aotearoa.
New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts dedicated Exhibition Gallery for all the taonga created within the Wananga. Beautiful works of arts from our National Schools and Graduated Artists are displayed for your veiwing pleasure. Visit Te Puia and participate in a Guided Experience - Te Ra and you will get to visit the schools where all the action happens before visiting our very special Ahua Gallery.
Whats even better, you can request a tailor made taonga! Visit our Commission a Project at NZMACI. From sentimental whānau pieces to significant commissioned projects, NZMACI can design, create and deliver your taonga.
If you would like to know some more about our Tumu (Head of Schools) and Pouako (Tutors) please visit our Artists page.
Hei tiki are the best known of all Māori adornments. Tiki are symbols of fertility that depict a new-born child. They are often family heirlooms bearing personal names and embodying their wearers lineage. As with most Māori personal adornments, hei tiki are often passed down generationally.
Material: Pounamu (Kawakawa)
Measurements: 50mm x 31mm
Hei tiki are the best known of all Māori adornments. Tiki are symbols of fertility that depict a new-born child. They are often family heirlooms bearing personal names and embodying their wearers lineage. As with most Māori personal adornments, hei tiki are often passed down generationally.
Material: Rātā
Measurements: 120mm x 65mm x 25mm
The paddle or hoe was the means of propulsion for the Māori waka (canoe). While the hoe was primarily a paddle, it also doubled as a weapon when the need arose. Carved paddles were the property of the chief and were highly valued. The hoe came in different styles and the handles and blades differed from area to area.
Kete whakairo are woven flax bags of a finer quality than the general utilitarian kete. They are normally made from prepared strips of flax and/or kiekie, some of which have been dyed. Kete whakairo may also feature geometric designs.
Material: Harakeke & Muka
Measurements: 220mm x 170mm x 50mm
Marakihau were believed to harass and prey on shore-living people or sea-travellers. Some were said to be the spirits of departed men, an example being the famed chief Te Tahi, ancestor of the Awa people of Whakatane where a marakihau carving decorates a meeting house.
Material: Koiwi (Beef Bone)
Measurements: 130mm x 50mm
To create a pātītī, an iron axe-head was fastened to a carved timber or whalebone handle resulting in a weapon that was practical and uniquely decorated. Prior to the introduction of the musket, the pātītī was a weapon favoured by Māori in the New Zealand Land Wars.
Material: Handle: Parāoa (Whalebone) & Blade: Steel
Measurements: 410mm x 130mm
This symbolic item was used by the tribal rangatira to delineate territorial possession which was always respected by the tribe. The pouwhenua was also used by orators on the marae during formal occasions where it was thrust into the earth at the completion of their kōrero (speech).
The paddle or hoe was the means of propulsion for the Māori waka (canoe). While the hoe was primarily a paddle, it also doubled as a weapon when the need arose. Carved paddles were the property of the chief and were highly valued. The hoe came in different styles and the handles and blades differed from area to area.
Kete whakairo are woven flax bags of a finer quality than the general utilitarian kete. They are normally made from prepared strips of flax and/or kiekie, some of which have been dyed. Kete whakairo may also feature geometric designs.
Material: Harakeke & Muka
Measurements: 230mm x 300mm
