John Taiapa and the Carved Meeting House of To-day

Te Ao Hou, September 1959, Page 31

John Taiapa and the Carved Meeting House of To-day by E. G. Schwimmer THREE major carved Maori houses have been opened over the last eighteen months, two of them on the East Coast, the third and latest on the shores of Lake Taupo. The work in these houses is competent, terse and forceful; while following ancient tradition it still has the vigour and subtlety of a living art. There are strong sentimental reasons why this art should be kept alive. Among stone-age peoples no better woodcarving was ever done than that of the ancient Maori. It is this art more than anything else in Maori tradition that has given the Maori a claim to special genius in the judgment of the world. With such a tradition to uphold, it is natural that the Maori people would wish to keep woodcarving alive if at all possible. Is it possible? Some people suggest that wood-carving talent has died out and that no expenditure of money could bring it back again. Those people draw the conclusion that therefore no money should be spent on Maori carving. One wonders how this myth about the non-existent Maori carvers should ever have started. All the facts deny it, yet it is widely believed. Mr John Taiapa, who carved the house at Waihi, told me that he and his brother, Pine, have trained literally hundreds of carvers while they were working on their many meeting houses; in fact they are considering issuing diplomas to those who have worked with them for at least four years full time and who would, in their view, be quali-

Sitting in front of an epa of the Te Kaha meeting house are Mr Tiweka Anaru (left) and Sir Apirana Ngarka (right) who is generally regarded as the chief inspiration behind modern Maori carving. fied to carve a meeting house on their own. Taking only the pupils with definite artistic talent and technical skill, the two brothers consider they could issue no less than 65 diplomas. In addition to these 65, there are, of course, many experts trained by others than the Taiapas. Of all this abundant store of gifted people, hardly any are making a living out of carving at present. So, in actual fact, it is not the art of carving that is dying out but the art of paying carvers for their work. This very essential art was superbly understood by the late Sir Apirana Ngata, but since his time it has gone into a serious decline. Many of the wealthier and larger tribes and sub-tribes are now the proud possessors of good carved houses; they do not need further ones. The smaller and less wealthy communities often have other needs more urgent than a carved house. Furthermore, the cost of carving and tukutuku is high (average—£6000) when measured against other community amenities. It might even be said that a tribe with little money to spend would be wite to do without carving; from a purely financial viewpoint that is certainly true. A carved house, with the tapu often attaching to it, has only limited uses and can only be justified, under modern conditions, when other social amenities are already available. Still, it would be shocking if this lack of money should cause the disappearance of an art which has shown such lively and satisfying development over the last thirty years. With tribal resources running short, other forms of patronage may have to be found to keep carvers going. It is a question that should be considered seriously by Maori leaders. The most prolific producers of carved houses over the last thirty years have undoubtedly been the two brothers Pine and John Taiapa. They have carved in practically all parts of New Zealand, the exceptions being the Rotorua and Bay A typical group of carvers working on a meeting house is this one from the Te Kaha project, left to right: Wi Paki Reweti, Henare Rukingi Haupapa, Hone Taiapa, Aiotua Tuarau, Tui Graham, Tuwhaka Kapua. of Plenty districts where Arawa carving traditions are still very much alive. Each of them has worked on over forty houses. About eight years ago, shortly after the death of Sir Apirana Ngata. Pine gave up carving and became a sheep-farmer. John carried on as a full time carver, but after he finished the Waihi house about a year ago, there were no further contracts offering, so for the time being he is in the building trade in Rotorua. However, he expects that by and by opportunities will open up for him to return to his true vocation.

Detail of the head on a poupou in the Te Kaha house. (N.Z. Department of Internal Affairs Photograph)