Kowhaiwhai are painted on the rafters or the tahuhu (ridgepole) of the house stretching the length of the building. The kowhaiwhai painted on the ridgepole represents the whakapapa (geneology) of the iwi (tribe). Nature is often the inspiration for these beautiful and stunning patterns.

Thereof What are Tukutuku patterns? Tukutuku or arapaki is a type of ornamental weaving using reed latticework rather than threads. It is used mainly to adorn the inside walls of wharenui (meeting houses). The tukutuku panels are placed between the carved wall slabs of the wharenui, and, like the carvings, convey a complex language of visual symbols.

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.

Similarly, What is a wharenui used for?

1. (noun) meeting house, large house – main building of a marae where guests are accommodated. Traditionally the wharenui belonged to a hapū or whānau but some modern meeting houses, especially in large urban areas, have been built for non-tribal groups, including schools and tertiary institutions.

What does the wharenui Symbolise?

Wharenui represent the ancestors and are made up of many parts to symbolise the human form. Many contain carvings and panels that show whakapapa (genealogy) of the iwi (tribe) and stories of the people and land.

What does NIHO taniwha represent? NIHO TANIWHA or NIHONIHO: Which literally means — teeth of the taniwha. It is also the sign of the historian. In some instances, it represents the chief and hospitality. It represents also, family houses within a tribe.

What does NIHO taniwha mean?

Meaning ‘teeth of the taniwha‘ this saw-edged pattern is often seen on tukutuku panels and was traditionally part of the taaniko weaving on the hems of cloaks. … It can represent the historian, sometimes the chief and hospitality and also family houses within a tribe.

What does Porourangi poutama mean? Caption: Porourangi Poutama. Description: Pūawaitanga o te Ringa – Fruits of our busy hands. One of a series of tukutuku panels that were specially woven as a community project for the new Nga Pounamu Māori Centre which was created as a result of the 2001/2002 refurbishment of the Central Library.

What is the Māori symbol for family?

The koru is a Maori symbol that is found in nature and symbolises new beginnings & spiritual growth, it can inspire new ideas & projects. The trinity is a beautiful Maori symbol that symbolises family & unity with love. It also represents unity with Earth Sea & Sky.

What does Pikorua mean? The Pikorua symbolizes the strength and beauty of enduring friendship and interwoven lives. It is inspired by the symbols of life and growth.

What do 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 is the difference between a wharenui and a marae? As nouns the difference between wharenui and marae

is that wharenui is an ornamental maori meeting house representing the body of a tupuna, forming part of the larger marae complex while marae is (archaic) a polynesian sacred altar or enclosure.

Why do Māori take their shoes off?

To leave the puehu or dust we carry from the outside world at the door.” In other words, when we enter the wharenui we leave the worries and cares of the world at the door and enter the whare, being the domain of peace (Rongomatane), with humility and respect. Bare feet connects us with the earth.

Where can you find a wharenui?

A wharenui ([ˈfaɾɛnʉ. i] literally “big house”) is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a marae.

What does whare mean? Definition of whare

1 : a Maori hut or house. 2 New Zealand : a temporary or roughly built hut in the bush.

Why was the wharenui important in the Maori culture? For the Māori people, the wharenui is a beautiful reminder of who we are and what is important to us. It is a gathering place for our families, communities and tribes.

What do Taniko patterns represent?

The literal translation is ‘a point where people or events cross’. The pattern is a reminder that change occurs at such meeting points. Like waharua kōpito, aronui (or aonui) are triangular patterns. The design refers to the pursuit of knowledge about the natural world.

What are Tukutuku panels made of? Tukutuku panels consist of vertical stakes (traditionally made of kākaho), horizontal rods (traditionally made of stalks of bracken-fern or thin strips of tōtara wood), and flexible material of flax, kiekie and pīngao, which form the pattern.

What does poutama mean?

As many of you will know the Poutama (stairway to heaven) pattern is found in Māori weaving and plaiting. Poutama has significant spiritual and educational meanings. The stepped pattern symbolises levels of attainment and advancement and the growth of man, striving ever upwards and for betterment.

Where can tāniko be found? Tāniko (or taaniko) is a traditional weaving technique of the Māori of New Zealand related to “twining”. It may also refer to the resulting bands of weaving, or to the traditional designs. The tāniko technique does not require a loom, although one can be used.

What do tukutuku panels represent and why?

Tukutuku panelling is a distinctive art form of the Māori people of New Zealand, a traditional latticework used to decorate meeting houses (wharenui). Other names are tuitui and arapaki. Tukutuku flank the posts around the edge of the wharenui, the posts are usually carved and represent ancestors.

What does Patiki pattern mean? Pātiki or pātikitiki (flounder) designs are based on the lozenge or diamond shape of the flounder fish. They can be quite varied within the basic shape. According to Ngāti Porou tradition, the pātikitiki significance relates to being able to provide 100% – not only for the husband, or the whānau, but for the whole iwi.

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