Traditional Maori symbols and meanings
Traditional Māori symbols reflect whakapapa, identity, and connection to the land. In both ta moko and carving, these designs speak of ancestry and belonging. Each line and form is intentional, linking people to their past and their place.
Māori symbols are shared across many New Zealand art forms (tattoo art and pounamu carving especially) and have symbolism or meaning that stems from their original use hundreds of years ago: to visually represent parts of the culture, belief system, and history of Māori. The symbols represent the future and past. Some reference stories of desire and memory, of strength, history and commitment, of loyalty, relationships, and they carry values from the past to those in the future. When carved in pounamu, tattooed on the skin, or hung on the wall today, you are displaying part of who you are, where you have come from, and what's important to you.
