The arts of the Maori are among the most alluring and sophisticated of the Pacific peoples. They developed their skills through centuries of endeavour and craft experimentation, expressing religious and artistic ideas in wood, stone, bone, shell and other materials. In particular, their carving and weaving are universally admired; Maori themselves proudly preserve their artistic traditions and honour the great historic art works. In this introduction to the subject, Terence Barrow (1923-2001) explains in simple terms the significance of the design motifs used by the Maori in their works of art, and discusses the material used, their construction and everyday uses. Highly illustrated, this book will answer the questions most commonly asked about Maori art and will give the reader a deeper understanding of the symbolic and spiritual significance of a variety of works and art forms.

Offers a look at the Maori visual arts, emphasising on the design. Covering tattooing, drawing and painting, carving and weaving, this book explores the origination, evolution, and significance of the designs, and explains the materials and techniques used to create them.

"Maori folk art is a distinctive, widespread tradition in painting and carving that first appeared in meeting houses throughout eastern tribal areas of the North Island just over a hundred years ago. It has obvious sources in both European and Classic Maori art traditions and is a clearly identifiable and vital communicative art, complex in its iconography and significance to its creators."--From preface.

In August 1895 Paul Gauguin spent ten days in Auckland, en route to Tahiti for the second and final time. During his stay he visited the Auckland Art Gallery and the Auckland Museum, and recorded in a sketchbook details of some of the fine Maori carvings he observed. When Gauguin left Auckland he took with him a small but vital collection of new images, several of which were later to appear in major paintings. Gauguin and Maori Art is published to coincide with the centenary of Gauguin's visit to Auckland. For the first time the complete sketchbook is reproduced, alongside photographs of the Maori carvings Gauguin sketched and the paintings which demonstrate the significance of Gauguin's first-hand encounter with Maori art.