MAORI ARTISTRY

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume 94, Issue 94, 30 November 1945, Page 4

MAORI ARTISTRY

MURAL DECORATIONS AND SCROLLS

Rock Paintings And Their Possible

Origin

THE STORY OF THE TATTOO

(Specially written for "Ellesraere Guardian" by Mr W. A. Taylor) ' '

In his sixth article on Maori art, Mr W. A. Taylor covers a most interesting field, describing various patterns, where the colouring matter was obtained, the rock paintings at Weka Pass and in South Canterbury, and a delightful little story concerning the origin of the tattoo. Mural decorations, which are mostly the painted work to be seen inside the superior type of Maori whares, conform usually to something like two d.ozen 'recognised patterns. The interior of the new quarters of .the Christchurch Maori Association will be, so decorated. Some samples of this type of decoration can be seen in the Maori house of the Canterbury Museum. The colouring matter is obtained from pipeclay, charcoal and red ochre. The juice of the poroporo or other fungus provides green colouring. Cobalt blue (pukepoto) can be obtained from decomposed fossil bones. Kokowai or red ochre is found in natural surroundings, but it can also be obtained from streams containing iron in suspension. The iron is caught in fascines of fern leaf. Kohowai obtained by the latter method is called horu. In the North Island natural red ochre is called takou, but in the South Island it is only known as maukoroa. The scrolls .to be seen in the Maori house, Canterbury Museum, are of what is known as the pare mango pattern, and the carving is of the ponga style. Tuitui is the name given to lattice work done in lathes or reeds. Purapura whetu represents the group of small stars. The scroll paintings in black, white and red, depict natural objects and are called tuhituhi, which is a very old form ,of art. A series of panels in black and white diamond shaped are called taniko. This feature is often woven as a pattern to garments. Patiki is the name given to plain y diamond patterns. Poutama represents a series of steps executed in black and white. Kaokao can be seen as a series of chevrons in rib pattern over doors. Twenty-five years ago the old ruined Roman Catholic Church at Rapaki had much painted scroll work within. A visit to Rapaki a few years later shewed a number of the scroll boards used to block up h/les in the fences, and at the time ferns were growing where the church f.ooring should have been. Near the summit of the Weka Pass, near Waikari, and close to a tributary of the Weka stream, ca.n be seen native paintings of quite a different character. These sketches are on a limestone rock shelter •of 65 feet length, 10 feet high with a receding depth ,of 12 feet. The paintings have been done in red ochre mixed with bird fat. The average height of the drawings is four feet. One of the sketches is 15 feet in length. When the writer visited the shelter in company with the late Mr P. Lucas, in 1924, the paintings were extremely difficult to descern owing to the fact that stock had been for many years allowed to use the shelter wall as a scratching post. The designs had to be traced over with common chalk before the making of a photograph was possible. The Weka Pass paintings are undoubtedly much ,older than similar rock paintings in South Canterbury, and of a different, conception. Much imagination is required, however, to attribute a meaning to the Weka Pass paintings and the more modern ones in South Canterbury. Be that as it may, the North sketches. have something of a Melanesian touch about them, more especially if one believes in South Island Maori tradition. Very -wisely, in January, 1931, the Canterbury Lands and Survey Department had the site of the Weka Pass paintings gazetted an historic reserve in order to prevent desecration. Admission is only permitted iby a written authority from the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and. the same shown to the person having the leasehold ,of the property. The paintings* at the rock shelters of South Canterbury can safely, be accredited to roving bands of the Nga aitanga a Te Puhirere (South Island Nga Puhi). Painted rock shelters .of. South Canterbury are to be found ,at various places in the Waitaki basin, especially in the vicinity of Duntroon, at the Upper Pareora gorge, and a few miles inland from Temuka. * - " For samples of tattoo artistry nowadays we have to be content (if we have no qualms) to view the dried tattooed heads in the Canterbury Museum. The South Islar.-rl* chiefs of one hundred years ago, on their faces an(f also on various parts of their bodies, bore elaborate designs of tattoo. Some Canterbury chiefs ,of the seventies such as Pita Te Hori, the native assessor of Kaiapoi and friend of Canon J. W. Stack, hed facial tattoo (moko). The only South Island Maoris the writer has seen with a facial tattoo were Herewina Ira (Selwyn Eli) of M.oeraki, North Otago, and Mxs Ria Te Kini, of Waikouaiti. Both crossed the Divide some thirty years ago. They did not have the usual marking, only the straight lines of the ancient tattoo -of • the time of Tamatea (of 600 years ago). At the Akaroa Centennial Maori Camp (1940), of the North Island Maoris present, only a few of the older wahines bore the common female tattoo on the chin. The legend telling the origin ,of tattooing is thus: Mataora, a chief of this world, paid a visit to the spiritlancl, to the place called Rarorienga. While there he fell in love with one of the fairy women, ard her name was Nik.areka. He married her. After a while he began to ill-treat her. The brother of Nikareka, whose name was Tawhe, took her away to a hiding place, then found Mataora and gave him a good dressing-down. Mataora repented his misdeeds and was given back his ■wife. Rarohenga is a place of light and rectitude. While there Mataora received knowledge of the arts of weaving and tattoo. The ruling spirit then allowed Matacra and his wife to return to earth with the knowledge gained—a special privilege, as the souls in Rar.ohenga do no return to earth.