Moriori Tree Drawing
Sir, —Your photograph of a Moriori “tree drawing” does seem to be typically Moriori Nevertheless, it seems hardly likely that, after the Maoris went to the Chathams 135 : years ago and started I slaughtering the Morioris, any I such work of art would be i attempted It seems to me that when the carving was' made the tree was not appre- ' ciably smaller than it is now ! The tree is a karaka, or a [ kopi, as it would be called on the Chathams, and has soft bark. The carving would expand with the growth of the tree, but 1 hardly think that 130-odd years ago the Moriori artist would consider this a suitable tree on which] to put his mark for; prosperity. As a child on the Chathams 1 just; remember my father cutting] Moriori carvings from karaka trees for a museum collection. They were similar to the one shown, but that was well over 60 years ago—Yours QUERCUS. July 12, 1965.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19650714.2.111.1
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30802, 14 July 1965, Page 14
Word Count
165Moriori Tree Drawing Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30802, 14 July 1965, Page 14
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.