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Toi Te Mana

An Indigenous History of Maori Art
By Deidre Brown and Ngarino Ellis and Jonathan Mane-Wheoki
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Brief Description
A landmark account in words and pictures of Māori art, by Māori art historians—from Polynesian voyaging waka to contemporary Māori artists. He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity. In six hundred pages and with over five hundred illustrations, this volume... Read More
Format: Hardback
$11900

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A landmark account in words and pictures of Māori art, by Māori art historians—from Polynesian voyaging waka to contemporary Māori artists.

He toi whakairo, he mana tangata.

Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity.

In six hundred pages and with over five hundred illustrations, this volume takes us on an extraordinary voyage through Māori art—from ancestral weavers to contemporary artists at the Venice Biennale, from whare whakairo to film, and from Te Puea Hērangi to Michael Parekōwhai.

Deidre Brown, Ngarino Ellis, and Jonathan Mane-Wheoki explore a wide field of art practices, including raranga (plaiting), whatu (weaving), moko (tattooing), whakairo (carving), rākai (jewellery), kākahu (textiles), whare (architecture), toi whenua (rock art), painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, installation art, digital media, and film. The works discussed span a period from the arrival of Pacific voyagers eight hundred years ago to the contemporary artists working around the world today.

With expansive chapters and breakout texts focusing on individual artists, movements, and events, Toi Te Mana is an essential book for anyone interested in te ao Māori.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780226839622

Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 28 February 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: University of Chicago Press

Illustration: 584 color plates

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 58.0mm

Width: 175.0mm

Height: 300.0mm

Weight: 4055g

Pages: 616

Collections

2025 Auckland Writers Festival 2025 Ockham NZ Book Awards American & Canadian History Arts & Culture Deidre Brown Education & Reference History & Archaeology History & Military Jonathan Mane-Wheoki Ngarino Ellis Non-Fiction

About the Author

Deidre Brown (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) is a Māori art and architectural historian and professor of architecture at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. Her books include Māori Architecture, Introducing Māori Art, and the multiauthored Art in Oceania. Brown is a fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi and Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects. Ngarino Ellis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou) is associate professor of art history at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland. She is the author of A Whakapapa of Tradition and coeditor of Te Puna (with Deidre Brown) and Te Ata (with Witi Ihimaera). Ellis’s curatorial projects include exhibitions at the Linden Museum and Auckland Art Gallery. Jonathan Mane-Wheoki CNZM (1943–2014; Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī) was an art historian specializing in Māori, New Zealand, and European art. He was the director of art and collection services at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and head of the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland.
 

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  • Toi Te Mana
    He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity. Toi Te Mana is a landmark account of Māori art from the time of the tupuna (ancestors) to the present day. In 600 pages and over 500 extraordinary images, this volume invites readers to climb onto the waka for a remarkable voyage—from ancestral weavers to contemporary artists...
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  • Toi Te Mana
    He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity. Toi Te Mana is a landmark account of Māori art from the time of the tupuna (ancestors) to the present day. In 600 pages and over 500 extraordinary images, this volume invites readers to climb onto the waka for a remarkable voyage—from ancestral weavers to contemporary artists...
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