What are Kowhaiwhai patterns?

Kowhaiwhai are Māori motifs. They are a way to tell a story and each has a meaning. Kowhaiwhai patterns are traditionally painted in whare tipuna (meeting houses), pataka (storehouses), on the prow of a waka (canoe) or on many forms of carving such as boat paddles or water containers.

Where do you find Kowhaiwhai patterns?

Māori patterns are known as Kōwhaiwhai patterns. They are a traditional art form from New Zealand. They are often found on Māori meeting houses which are known as Wharenui.

What do the traditional Kowhaiwhai colours mean?

Grandpa: Three traditional colours were used to paint the kowhaiwhai present in hotunui. These colours are red, black and white and thy come from the story of creation. Black represents “Te Po” or the darkness, red represents the blood that was spilled and white represents “Te Ao Marama” or the light.

What features do Kowhaiwhai patterns include?

The patterns involve symmetry, translation and rotation. These elements of design make each kowhaiwhai patterns in the wharenui interesting and unique.

What is the inspiration for the Kowhaiwhai patterns?

The designs draw inspiration from Māori art and design, kōwhaiwhai, weaving, carving, and tā moko to ground the narrative for each design in traditional Māori lore and culture, aesthetics, and the environment.

What do Koru patterns mean?

The koru (Māori for ‘”loop or coil”‘) is a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling silver fern frond. It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace.

What Māori patterns mean?

A Maori twist symbolises the path of life. It is believed to have been based on Maori kete basket weaving. The path of life takes many twists and turns but carries on regardless. In the case of the Single Twist, the design means the path of life and can be called the Maori Eternity Symbol.

What do Māori patterns mean?

What does double koru mean?

two lives growing together
The entwined Double Koru is a Maori symbol that is said to represent two lives growing together. The Sky Father and Earth Mother joined.

What does a double koru represent?

Another similar form to touch on is the double koru meaning; usually represented by two koru within one circular form. This is widely regarded as a symbol of two lives growing together.