HE TOI ORA - A Living History

Little is known about how the Maori carvings now looked after in the museum came to Munich: many were acquired by German collectors in London between 1824 and the First World War, and their exact origin in New Zealand is often unknown. Drawing on material examination of the woods involved, together with stylistic analysis of the carvings, and research into relevant pictorial and written sources, the book traces the story of these artworks and, informed by the in-depth knowledge of Maori specialists, provides insights into aspects of the Maori worldview and philosophy behind them. One chapter highlights the iwi Rongowhakaata and the pou Tawhaki – a long-lost post-figure from that group’s meeting house rediscovered in the Munich museum. The book is the accompanying catalogue to the exhibition of the same name, which has been created in close collaboration with Maori groups and individuals and marks the beginning of a revitalized connection between them and the carvings currently looked after in Munich.