Image: Te Tauihu 02

Description: "Te Tauihu Tūranga Whakamana" is a large modern carved sculpture in the shape of a tauihu (canoe prow) that celebrates early Māori explorers and their ability to navigate the Pacific Ocean long before that of any European sailors would dare to navigate. The Tauihu was designed by Derek Lardelli and Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp and carved by master carvers and artisans Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp and Bill Baker. The sculpture articulates the relationship of Māori to the area of Tūranganui a kiwa, Aotearoa and Te ao Māori. The carving depicts the creation of the Māori world and emphasises the genealogies between Ranginui and Papatuānuku, and their son Tangaroa. It speaks of their contribution to the world we see today. It highlights the importance of the first Māori ancestors, the demigod Māui and the first known Māori ancestor Toikairākaum who populated Aotearoa in the first migration of the fleet of waka from Hawaiki.
Title: Te Tauihu 02
Credit: Own work
Author: L Maule
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Attribution Required?: Yes