New Zealand - Rotorua - Maori woodcarving - N. S. Seaward's Studio - Real Photo Postcard Format #601293 The art of wood carving (whakairo) - Wood carving and the forests that supply the treasured material have played an important and respected role in Maori culture since before the first people arrived on New Zealand aboard their fleet of great ocean-going waka (canoes). - Traditional structures and many objects that featured in daily Maori life are covered in elaborately carved decoration, from the prow of a waka (canoe) and posts of a wharenui (meeting houses) to taiaha (weapons). While each object serves as a functional work of art, it also tells a story and helps to record what has gone before. - Maori wood-carvers used tools made from greenstone, which was precious for its strength as well as its natural beauty. The art of wood carving is called whakairo rakau and focuses on using a range of native timbers, particularly wood from the majestic giants of the forest, the kauri and totara. - Requiring patience, diligence and an intuition for the organic material, whakairo rakau is more than an historical curiosity in New Zealand, it is a skill that many continue to hone both in honour of their heritage and to carry the lessons it teaches forward. (source - https://www.newzealand.com/nieuw-zeeland/feature/the-art-of-wood-carving/)