String Figures from New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands by Honor Maude

$16.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Series: String Figure Monographs No. 3 | Reading Level: very good

String Figures of the Tuamotus by Kenneth P. Emery & Honor Maude

$25.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Series: String Figure Monographs No. 2 | Reading Level: very good

The string figures described in this collection were those recorded in the Tuamotus between 1929 to 1931. The making of these string figures or fai was an integral parrt of the Tuamotuan culture-a means of communication and establishment of friendships; * an illustration of episodes in the careers of traditional characters with accompanying chants of myths, legends and folk tales * a demonstration of knowledge and skill * a provoking of mirth and thus also a dispelling of monotony ...Show more

Toi Ora: Ancestral Maori Treasures by Huhata Smith & Arapata Hakiwai (eds)

$25.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Reading Level: very good

This exceptional book highlights over 120 taonga tuku iho (ancestral Maori treasures) from Te Papa's collections. Rich images of these precious objects, are accompanied by stories from the artists who created the taonga, the people who used them in daily life, and their living descendants. Items include traditional carvings, weapons, waka huia (treasure containers), jewellery, and taonga such as puppets used by tohunga (ritual experts) and tools for tamoko (customary skin marking). Maps, diagrams, and additional photographs - both archival and contemporary - elaborate on the making of the taonga, and elucidate Maori life, art, and beliefs. ...Show more

The Art of Tivaevae: Traditional Cook Islands Quilting by Lynssay Rongokea

$45.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Reading Level: very good

The art of tivaevae making is unique to the Cook Islands. Since quilt-making was introduced by Christian missionaries more than a century ago, the women of these South Pacific islands have embraced it enthusiastically and with extraordinary skill so that it has become a valued and integral part of local life and culture. The Art of Tivaevae tells the stories behind these stunningly beautiful quilts. Twenty-three women, each represented by a black-and-white portrait, talk about their work - the ideas behind the design, the cutting and sewing techniques, how they acquired and pass on their skills, and the future of tivaevae. Forty-five tivaevae are shown in full and in close detail in photographs by John Daley, that highlight the striking originality of design and colour combinations, and the intricate stitching. This beautiful book provides a memorable record of a unique art and a talented group of women. ++ Finalist for the Montana Medal for non-fiction (Lifestyle) 2002 ++ ...Show more

Pacific Tapa by Roger Neich and Mick Pendergrast

$30.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Reading Level: very good

The manufacture of tapa, barkcloth, is an ancient art which has been practised for thousands of years. Auckland Museum's collection of tapa cloth from around the Pacific is one of the most extensive in the world and forms the basis of this comprehensive survey. Pacific Tapa presents a complete range of the art, from cloth brought back from the first voyages by Europeans to the Pacific to contemporary examples. ...Show more

Tohunga Whakairo: Paki Harrison - The Story of a Master Carver by Ranginui Walker

$20.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Reading Level: very good

Paki Harrison is widely regarded as New Zealand's greatest living master carver, a man with a huge reputation as a leading tohunga of the art form. He possesses immense knowledge about the traditional arts of the carver, extending way beyond the actual physical arts to include its most ancient aspects - the symbolism contained in Maori art, to its role in transmitting old tribal history. Few know more about the symbolism of the waka taua (war canoe), whare whakairo (carved meeting houses) and kowhaiwhai patterns. This major biography by Ranginui Walker, himself a well-known public figure, traces Paki Harrison's life and work, from his privileged upbringing in the Ngati Porou household of his grandmother, where he was singled out for special training. The carving and building of several big meeting houses is described in detail, from the inside. First published November 2008. ...Show more

Yikwani - Contemporary Tiwi Ceramics by Judith Ryan

$12.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Reading Level: good

Functional wares are transformed into exhuberently expressive contemporary ceramic sculptures and utensils by the Aboriginal Tiwi people of Melville and Bathhurst.

Auckland Museum - Director's Choice by David Gaimster

$6.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: very good

- Auckland Museum houses the world's leading collection of Maori taonga (treasures) and, reflecting Auckland's place as the world's largest Polynesian city, multiple traditional and contemporary arts from throughout the Pacific region - The Museum's natural history and documentary heritage holdings are among the most extensive in the southern hemisphere - New photography showcases the key items in the collection in exquisite detail - Part of the successful Director's Choice series Auckland Museum, founded in 1852, just 12 years after New Zealand became a British colony, was the nation's first public museum. From the outset the Museum was encyclopedic in its collecting of 'specimens illustrative of the Natural History of New Zealand - also, Weapons, Clothing, Implements of New Zealand, and the Islands of the Pacific'. Starting in a farm cottage, the Museum is now one of the most important in Oceania. Dominating the central Auckland landscape, its monumental Greek Revival building is one of the visual icons of the city. The building is also a memorial to the war dead of the Auckland province, hence the Museum's full title, Auckland War Memorial Museum. Auckland Museum houses the world's leading collection of Maori taonga (treasures) and, reflecting Auckland's place as the world's largest Polynesian city, multiple traditional and contemporary arts from throughout the Pacific region. The Museum's director, David Gaimster, explores this extraordinary collection, each item with its own compelling backstory. ...Show more

Parihaka: The Art of Passive Resistance by Te Miringa Hohaia; Lara Strongman; Gregory O'Brien

$45.00 NZD

Category: New Zealand | Reading Level: near fine

A bestseller in New Zealand since 2000, when an exhibition at City Gallery in Wellington broke new ground in the study of Maori art and history, this is a new paperback edition of the exhibition catalog. More than 120 paintings, written accounts, and photographs from the time, following the English inva sion in 1881 chronicle the story of brave leaders Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi, and celebrate the strength and spirit of the Parihaka community, even under colonial rule. ...Show more

Hiapo: Past and Present in Niuean Barkcloth by John Pule and Nicholas Thomas

$35.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Reading Level: very good

Niuean tapa cloth (hiapo) is a brilliant art form. This is the first book on the subject. Paintings range from abstract patterns to detail renderings of plants, people and ships. Features over 100 colour photographs. First published October 2005.

Pacific Pattern by Susanne Küchler & Graeme Were

$35.00 NZD

Category: Maud’s Picks | Reading Level: very good

Lavishly illustrated with contemporary, archival and museum images, Pacific Pattern takes us on a stunning visual journey through the history of the Pacific, the various techniques and culture associated with fibre and fabric. This is the first book to cover not only the ritual domain but everyday patte rns, including floor coverings, cooking and storage containers and the use of fibre art in architecture and interiors. This treasure trove of inspiration will be an indispensable sourcebook for artists, craftspeople, designers, architects and anyone who has ever been interested in what anthropologists can tell us about the expression of our deepest feelings and beliefs. Photography by Glenn Jowitt. ...Show more

Indigenous Australian Art in the National Gallery of Victoria by Judith Ryan

$15.00 NZD

Category: Maori & Pacific | Reading Level: very good

This publication acknowledges the power and primacy of the indigenous art and culture. It follows five published catalogues on aspects of the collection and aims to extend the repertoire of published images in the public domain.