''Te Uenuku'', or simply ''Uenuku'', is an early Māori carving stored (but not displayed) at Te Awamutu Museum in the

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

of New Zealand. ''Te Uenuku'' (literally "The Rainbow") represents

Uenuku Uenuku (or Uenuku-Kōpako, also given to some who are named after him) is an atua of rainbows and a prominent ancestor in Māori tradition. Māori believed that the rainbow's appearance represented an omen, and one kind of yearly offering made ...

, a tribal

atua Atua are the gods and spirits of the Polynesian people such as the Māori or the Hawaiians (see also ). The literal meaning of the Polynesian word is "power" or "strength" and so the concept is similar to that of '' mana''. Many of the atua ...

of war who manifests as a rainbow. The

taonga ''Taonga'' or ''taoka'' (in South Island Māori) is a Māori-language word that refers to a treasured possession in Māori culture. It lacks a direct translation into English, making its use in the Treaty of Waitangi significant. The current ...

is of extreme significance both to the local

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...

people and also for its archaeological value. It is 2.7 metres in height and consists of a simple upright post, the top of which has been carved into a spiral form. From the top of this spiral emerge four waving verticals, reminiscent of the teeth of a comb. The form, though seemingly simple, often causes a powerful reaction in viewers of the artifact. In appearance the carving is very striking and different from the style of carving seen in the later Classic period. Because of the carving's spiritual and cultural significance, photographs are prohibited without the permission of the Māori sovereign. One must seek further written permission to publish the photos anywhere, which is more likely to be granted if the sovereign deems it to be for the nation's interest. Similarly, while the form of ''Te Uenuku'' is a popular motif for New Zealand artists, they must still exercise care in its use because of its sacred significance. It is used in stylised form as the logo of the Māori Broadcasting Agency Te Māngai Pāho.

History

The carving is unique in form, and bears a noted resemblance to Hawaiian carving styles. Tainui tradition would suggest that it dates from circa 1400 CE, an era known to New Zealand

ethnologist Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Scien ...

s as Te Tipunga or Archaic period. Tradition goes on to say that the spirit now inhabiting the carving originated from

Hawaiki (also rendered as in the Cook Islands, Hawaiki in Māori, in Samoan, in Tahitian, in Hawaiian) is, in Polynesian folklore, the original home of the Polynesians, before dispersal across Polynesia. It also features as the underworld in man ...

, brought over on the Tainui canoe inside a stone, which was later placed inside the spiral at the top of the carving. Recent work by the museum has shown that it is made from

tōtara ''Podocarpus totara'' (), commonly known as the , is a species of Podocarpus, podocarp tree endemism, endemic to New Zealand. It grows throughout the North Island, South Island and rarely on Stewart Island, Stewart Island / Rakiura in lowland, ...

, a common native New Zealand hard wood. According to Māori verbal history, around the year 1807 the Waipa District of the

Waikato The Waikato () is a region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipā District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the nort ...

was invaded by a strong force led by

Ngāti Toa Ngāti Toa, also called Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori people, Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and the northern South Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Toa remains a small iwi with a population of ...

chief Pikauterangi. In the Battle of Hingakākā between Tainui and

Ngāti Maniapoto Ngāti Maniapoto is an iwi (tribe) based in the Waikato-Waitomo region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the Tainui confederation, the members of which trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back to people who arrived in New Zealand on th ...

warriors close to

Lake Ngaroto Lake Ngaroto is a peat lake in Waipa District of New Zealand. Located 19 km south of Hamilton and 8 km north-west of Te Awamutu, it has a surface area of , making it the largest of the Waipa peat lakes. The New Zealand Ministry f ...

, the sacred carving of ''Te Uenuku'' was lost. The carving was found buried close to the lake's shore in 1906 when a farmer was draining swampland, and spent some time in the R.W. Bourne collection before being acquired by the Te Awamutu Museum. The work was the centrepiece of the '' Te Maori'' exhibition which toured North America and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s.https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/43062/uenuku

References

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External links

An image of ''Te Uenuku''

Te Māngai Pāho

an

show two examples of artwork using ''Te Uenuku'' as their inspiration

at

NZETC The New Zealand Electronic Text Collection (NZETC; ) is a freely accessible online archive of New Zealand and Pacific Islands texts and heritage materials that are held by the Victoria University of Wellington Library. It was named the New Zeala ...

shows an early image of ''Te Uenuku''
Te Awamutu Museum
site of Te Uenuku's current location and refurbishment Wooden sculptures in New Zealand Waikato Te Awamutu Māori art