This beautifully illustrated book traces the origins and evolution of art and design in historic Maori culture. For early Maori, aart was inseparable from daily life, whether it was the pattern on a sculpted spade handle or the magnificently carved prow of a war canoe. With her diverse knowledge of Maori art and design, Julie Paama-Pengelly brings that art to life, focusing on four major disciplines:

• woven and fibre arts
• painted and pigmented arts
• sculpted and carved arts
• architectural and structural arts.