Author(s): Wiremu Cooper

NZ Art & Artists | Secondhand

One thousand years of Maori art, artifacts, and culture from an exhibit at the National Museum of New Zealand The Te Maori exhibition of 1983-87 explored the art and artistry of Maori and offered their secrets to a then naive New Zealand. This catalogue is a superb reminder of the treasures that were shown to great acclaim both in New Zealand and overseas. Maori write about their myths, culture, and society, and about the meaning of the taonga (treasures) in the exhibition. The essays are fully illustrated. More than a hundred photographs take you back in time - photographs of carvings, exquisite tiki, and even a koauau (flute) made of human bone - and they all tell a story. If you missed the Te Maori exhibition, are interested in Maori history, or just delight in a story, this beautiful catalogue will capture all who read it. It is still one of the best primers about Maori culture available.