A Whakapapa of Tradition: One Hundred Years of Ngato Porou Carving, 1830-1930

A landmark volume on the evolution of Maori carving traditions from 1830 to 1930.

Ngarino Ellis tells the story of Ngati Porou carving and a profound transformation in Maori art, focusing on thirty meeting houses. Beginning around 1830, dominant art traditions like war canoes and storehouses declined, replaced by churches and decorated meeting houses. Ellis examines this transformation by exploring the Iwirakau School of carving in the Waiapu Valley.

This volume asks: What makes a tradition in Maori art? How do traditions begin, and why do they cease? What forces make some buildings acceptable and others not? Beautifully illustrated with new photography by Natalie Robertson, this landmark volume will appeal to scholars, researchers, and anyone interested in Maori art and culture.