Maori colours and their meanings
Red = Nobility, divinity, power
Black represents Te Korekore the realm of Potential Being.
The long darkness from whence the world emerged. White
represents Te Ao Marama the realm of Being and light. It is
the physical world, where symbolises purity, harmony and
enlightment. The Koru, curling frond shape, represents the
unfolding of new life, that everything is reborn and continues.
It represents renewal and hope for the future. Red represents
Te Whei Ao, the realm of Coming into being. It symbolises
female, active, flashing, south, yelling, forests, gestation and
spirals.Red is Papatuanuku Earth Mother, the sustainer if all
living things. Red is the colour of earth from which the first
humans was made.
Design Meanings
Crossover and Triple Twist - represents a bonding of friendship, two lives
becoming one for all eternityHei-tiki - Hei - from the neck or neck pendant
tiki - human form
The typical hei-tiki has a large, angled rounded or pointed head, usually just
slightly less then half of the total length and with the mouth on either the left or
right side. The eyes were often inset with paua shell (Haliotis iris) but later, after
arrival of Europeans, red sealing wax was used. Usually, the remainder of the body
featured a relatively large abdomen and the legs in a squatting position, with the
heels together and both hands resting on the thighs.Hei-matau - (fish hook) was
not as common as the hei-tiki as a neck ornament, the Maori fish hook was made in
a variety of designs to suit the catching of the wide variety of fish around New
Zealand . Matau, meaning hook, like the hei-tiki was worn suspended by a cord
from the neck. Its importance goes back at least as far as the legend of Maui.
Today, it represents strength and determination and brings peace, prosperity and
good health. Also provides safe journey especially over water.Kapeu - pendant with
curved lower endKoropepe - design has a coiled snake-like or eel appearance with
a bird-like head. The design is a relatively modern form as no ancient examples
have been found.Koru - spiral design depicting new beginnings, growth and
harmonyKuru - straight pendantManaia - mythical bird-like person with the head
in profile and coming to a point which gives the appearance of a beak. Sometimes
the head portion only was used as a separate design to replace the hands and feet
of an otherwise normal figure. It was much used in the carved barge boards of
canoes and for the door and window lintels of carved buildings. The manaia can
mean many things in Maori folklore, but this spritual and mythical creature was and
still is regarded as a tribal guardian. Some were grotesque figures while others
were almost human, but still with a fierce facial expression. There are three
fingers and toes or claws on each limb.Marakihau (sea monster) - a development
of the manaia design, it has a bird-like head and was made predominately by Maori
of the Northland and Auckland districts.Pekapeka (bat) - the symmetrical design
believed to represent the native bat by its outline shape, has the profile of two
outward facing heads sharing the one body. It was made predominately by Maori of
the Northland and Auckland districts and although it is now also worn as a
penadant, it used to be worn from the ear. Similar designs but with only one head in
profile, are the marakihau and manaia which are worn hanging vertically.