Te Rangi Hiroa. — Maori Decorative Art. 461 



symmetrical laterally. Many of the post-European designs are rendered 

 still harder to distinguish by the fact that in some of our best existing carved 

 houses the panels were stitched by skilled Maoris, who gave them old names 

 and maintained that they were original Maori designs. Some of them have 

 old Maori patterns included in part of the panel. The application, however, 

 of the above two points of distinction, and careful cross-examination, shows 

 that the Maori craftsmen were probably unconsciously influenced by modern 

 conditions. Their idea of good work was to make the designs as compli- 

 cated as possible. The retention of some original Maori motives as part of 

 the design, and the application of some old Maori name, made the new design 

 an original Maori one in their minds. 



There are several of these designs amongst the Arawa and East Coast 

 people, but they are absent from the conservative Whanganui. A few 

 have been selected to illustrate this class, and the names given are trans- 

 lated from the original manuscript written by one of the old men who 

 assisted in making the designs. They may be roughly classified into — 

 (1.) Designs with an original Maori motive forming part : — 



Fig. 4, hotoretore makamaka. This is an alternative Arawa name 

 for waharua, the single-stitch lozenge, which is shown in the 

 lower third of the panel and gives its name to the whole design. 

 Fig. 5, whakaiwituna (eel's bones). This is seen in the upper third. 

 It is the overlapping wrapped stitch without the vertical stake 

 and with the original middle motive repeated twice on either 

 side. The rest of the design is called mangati and mangata, 

 from a fancied resemblance to a figure in the game of cat's 

 cradle (whai). 

 (2.) Designs with non-Maori geometrical figures : — 



Fig. 6, mumu. This takes its name from the squares or chequers 

 in the upper or lower thirds of the panel, and will be dealt with 

 later. 

 Fig. 7, pekapeka. Amongst its many meanings, pekapeka means a 

 flat plait of nine strands. As there are nine vertical lines in the 

 top row of the panel, the design probably takes its name from 

 that. In the middle third the octagon appears as a motive, 

 but, though the outstanding feature of the design, there is no 

 name for it. 

 Fig. 8. This design, for which I have not the name, shows the 

 double triangle, which, though of widespread distribution, was 

 unknown to the Maori. 

 (3.) Designs with Maori motives not hitherto used : — 



Fig. 9, patungarongaro (fly-flap), from the large lozenge in the lower 

 third. Fly-flaps were made of flax plaited in the form of a 

 lozenge and fixed to a handle. They were used to keep the flies 

 away from a corpse when it was lying in state. 

 Fig. 10, hereweromanu (bird-spear). The bone point of bird-spears 

 were usually barbed on one side, at intervals, in threes. The 

 motive for the name is shown in the lower third, where the three 

 barbs appear on both sides for the sake of symmetry. 

 Fig. 11, Rangitihi, the name of the carved house in the Auckland 

 Museum. This is shown in the middle third of the design. 

 The lower third of the design is called rapakaheru, the blade of 

 the old Maori wooden spade, and is taken from a figuie in cat's 

 cradle that bears the same name. 



