The Maori Koru Design | Koru Patterns

Photo by JSilver | Creative Commons

The Koru is (just like the Tiki) unique to Polynesian cultures and in particular the Maori culture.

The design is traditionally used in various Maori art forms such as wood carvings as well as the bone and pounamu greenstone (jade) carvings, tattoos, and scroll patterns. The koru pattern is also the starting point for derived designs such as kowhaiwhai.

Nowadays the iconic Maori pattern remains popular in contemporary art. Renowned New Zealand painters use it in their work. Some have even specialized in it. Master carvers frequently use the koru in their works of art. Also glass art and other types of artistry are based on the koru.

Photo by ingermaaike2 | Creative Commons

The unfolding spiral tipped shoots of the New Zealand silver fern plant become new fern leaves (fronds). Thus the reference to new life or a new start. The circular shape of the baby fern frond also symbolizes nurturing, purity, tranquility, personal growth, positive change and awakening.

Koru's spiral shape resembles the concept of perpetual movement. Its inner coil suggests a going back to the origin. The koru therefore resembles the way in which life both changes and stays the same.

Especially in Maori culture these Koru (unfolding shoots) have a strong symbolical meaning. The koru design has been used for centuries in cultural expressions. Art forms like wood, bone and jade carvings, tattoos and so forth featured (and still do) the koru design which nowadays is probably the most iconic symbol of New Zealand (Aotearoa).

The Koru pattern also represents tranquility, peace, rebirth, a fresh new start and spirituality. Often associated with nurturing the koru pattern is also used to represent the purity and strength of the bond between people.

This unique jade (pounamu) koru sculpture is from the hand of one of New Zealand's most skilled master carvers; Peter Bishop. Bishop's work is famous for its extraordinary aura of power and beauty. For more info on this object and some of his other masterpieces click here

The Koru Flag, designed in 1983 by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, has been proposed as a secondary flag for New Zealand.

Some New Zealanders claim the current flag of New Zealand is a reminder of British colonialism and does not truly represent their culture. Those who are in favor of the current flag say it represents the history of the country as a part of the British Empire.

The flag has a black flagstaff on the left (black is a traditional color of the Maori). The green fern spiral starts by taking up the entire width of the flag but decreases gradually, splitting it diagonally and finally curling up into a spiral on the right side. This curling fern is based on a Maori pattern known as the koru, and the corresponding white spiral alludes to Aotearoa, a Maori name for New Zealand meaning Land of the Long White Cloud.

Hundertwasser also saw the design as representing humanity in harmony with nature.

Source text and picture: Wikipedia

Moko are the traditional Maori facial tattoos. Many of the designs of these tattoos have the koru in them. Specific moko designs were used to distinguish members of tribes. Historically each line and koru referred to the membership of a certain tribi (iwi).

The painting depicts a portrait of a Maori man with a small beard and a moustache. He wears a bone comb and a topknot with feathers in his hair. The full facial traditional Maori tattoo is called a moko. Furthermore he wears a greenstone (jade) earring, a hei tiki and a flax cloak. This man is known as Rachel and Maygen and is a historical piece of art.

It could take up to 30 years for a moko to be fully completed. After each achievement, for example on the battlefield, an addition representing the achievement was tattooed. In such way the moko represented the life of the person wearing the facial tattoo.

The koru on the facial and body tattoos represented the mana of the person wearing the moko. Mana is described as someones power, authority, prestige and also spiritual presence.

Photo by Kahuroa (Wikimedia Commons) Click the link for a large size version of this picture.

The logo of Air New Zealand consists of the koru design. Photo licensed under Wikimedia Commons

In 1973 with the arrival of the DC-10 the koru was first applied to the tail of Air New Zealand aircraft. The koru also appears on the Air New Zealand house flag and flies at international airports such as Los Angeles Airport.

This flower jade (Pounamu) Koru sculpture is crafted by the renowned artist Peter Bishop. The carving is set in a west coast driftwood base. This size of this unique piece is 4.5 inches. The carving is supplied with a traditional cord so it can also be worn as a pendant. Click the photo for more info, price and buying.

The koru was used on the prows of the early Polynesian canoes that sailed the Pacific with its many islands.

The front of a waka (Maori war canoe) with typical carving. Waka is commonly translated with canoe but it actually means "sacred vessel". The Maori name of the prow front is 'Tuere'. Waka were large canoes, sized up to 40 metres, and manned by up to 80 paddlers.

Picture by Kahuroa | Wikimedia Commons

These dazzling koru pendant necklaces are made of pacific pearl shells. (except for the white one which is made from bone). Click here to view more designs.

And some more New Zealand jade koru pendants.

Koru necklaces are often given to beloved ones who are about to take a next step in life such as newlyweds, new parents, a newborn child, or on other mile-stone occasions.

Koru Bone Carving

Gordon Walters (1919-95) was a Pakeha* New Zealand painter and graphic designer. He created a new kind of painting in which Maori motifs and European abstract painting were drawn together. He is best known for his series based on the Maori 'koru' pattern.

* Pakeha means a New Zealander who is not of Maori bloodlines. The source of the word is thought to be pakehakeha which refers to mythical human-like creatures who came from the sea. More on the origins of this word on Wikipedia

Amoka (1972), screenprint, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. One of Walters' koru prints.
Courtesy picture Wikipedia

Sandy Adsett (1939) is another renowned artist using the koru pattern in his work.

"Maori painter, carver, weaver, costume and stage designer. In his own work he maintains a balance between the conservation of older traditional materials and forms of Maori arts and the experimental use of new materials, such as composite chipboard, synthetic dyes, plastic-coated basketry fibres and composite, laminated board. His painted and woven-fibre works are notable for their rich but subtle colours and controlled sense of line." source answers.com

Sandy Adsett has received the Order of New Zealand for Service to Art in 2005. The Te Wananga o Aotearoa education institution cited him as adjunct professor for his contribution to art education and the Maori community.

A photo of a painting made by one of the children at the New Zealand Summerland Primary School.

"To complete our art unit focusing on the artworks of Reuben Paterson and koru patterns we created a koru template and traced it on to a large piece of cardboard four times, using rotation, reflection or translation."

Visit the Summerland school website to see more of these art works.

Art Glass Koru Circle - Blue & Green on Crystal stand

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Our Price:NZ$55.95

Art Glass Te Punga Koru - Blue & Green on Crystal stand

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Our Price:NZ$39.95

Single (Round) Koru
The fern frond represents new life, new beginnings, life unfolding. The stylization of the Koru in its many forms represents the spirit of rejuvenation.

Pounamu is the Maori word for jade or greenstone. The Maori classification system for pounamu describes four varieties: kahurangi, kawakawa, inanga and tangiwai.

Kahurangi is the rarest form of pounamu. This light green stone has light streaks which seem to resemble clouds. Kahurangi is very translucent and has to be free of any flaws.

Kawakawa is named after the leaves of the kawakawa tree. Just like these leaves it has a strong green color with varying shades.

Inanga is the Maori term for whitebait. This type of greenstone has grey-ish, geen and pearl white colors and is generally translucent.

Tangiwai (Bowenite) is harvested mainly at the entrance to Milford Sound in the South Island. It has a translucent, blue-green to olive-green type of serpentine.

A few examples of Pounamu (which is greenstone or jade) Koru pendants. These are also called hei-koru where hei refers to 'wearing around the neck'.

Click here for a collection of the most beautiful greenstone koru pendants.

Kowhaiwhai are red, white and black complex and symmetrical rafter patterns based partially on the koru design. Kowhaiwhai patterns are an expression of the power and spirits of legendary Maori ancestors (genealogical mana). They were traditionally used to decorate walls and ceilings of dining halls (whare kai) and ancestral houses (whare whakairo).

Kowhaiwhai are characterized by "sophisticated mathematical precision involving symmetry, rotation, reflection and translation". source: Auckland Museum

The names of the specific patterns on the picture are from top to bottom; Koiri, Patiki, Kuhoro and Mangotipi.

Pictures kowhaiwhai by Maori.org.nz. Visit Maori.org.nz for more patterns.

These koru canvas photo prints and much more koru products and gifts are available at Shop New Zealand!

Bronze railing system to marble staircase Portland city hall. The bronze staircase rail with the typical koru design when viewed from above.The city hall of Portland Oregon was built in 1890 in the Italian Renaissance style of architecture.

Courtesy photo by Chris Darling

More sterling silver koru pendants and other jewelry here

The West African (adinkra) symbol for strength, endurance, and resourcefulness is a fern. The fern is a perdurable plant that can endure much and grows practically everywhere.

Courtesy picture by Adinkra.org.

These Gaudi style toilets were designed in 1997 by Austrian born Friedensreich Hundertwasser who also designed the alternative New Zealand flag with the koru pattern. The side of the sink unit displays the koru.



Courtesy photo: Electron | Wikimedia Commons

Wood & Paua Maori Open Koru Pendant

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Our Price:NZ$24.95

Canvas Photo Print stretch mounted on a 40mm block. Images are printed on high quality canvas with pigment inks and finished with a special coating of varnish that waterproofs the surface. More info and buying of this koru canvas print

Sterling silver Cuff Bracelet engraved with a Maori Moko. Hand cut using a process called 'Hopi Overlay'. The Hopi Indians invented this process in the 1930's. These solid pewter cuff links are etched with a spiraling Koru design. As well as being meaningful, these cuff links are beautiful to look at and practical to wear, either on special occasions or every day. Because these Fish Hook Cuff Links are New Zealand made with 100% lead free pewter they're safe for you and your family to handle. These and more koru jewelry at Shop New Zealand

Visit these shops for more koru design goodies, gifts, jewelry, pendants and much more..