Overview
There are two known Māori tekoteko (carved figures) which depict Mary and Jesus. This one, held at Te Papa, is thought to have been carved around 1890. The second is in the Auckland Museum, and may have been carved several decades before that.
The early nineteenth-century New Zealand historian James Cowan reported that a Te Arawa carver, named Patoromu Tamatea, made the Auckland Museum tekoteko around 1845. It’s never been established who carved the tekoteko held at Te Papa.
In his book Carved Histories Roger Neich writes, ‘To judge by their styles, these two Madonnas were carved by two different artists …’ He adds ‘On stylistic grounds, however, neither of the Madonnas is likely to be the work of Patoromu Tamatea.’(1)
Both tekoteko are good examples of cultural exchange between Māori and Pākehā. They integrate Christian, and in particular Roman Catholic, beliefs with a Māori world view.
Māori were first introduced to Christian concepts by whalers, sealers and traders in the early nineteenth century. Māori adoption of Christianity was slow at first, but increased as more missionaries arrived. By 1838, when the first Roman Catholic Bishop (Jean Baptiste Francois Pompallier) arrived at Hokianga, in the Far North, the Roman Catholic Church was already established here.
This tekoteko was possibly carved to hang on a wall. The carver has suggested the concept of the Virgin Mother of God by placing a full facial moko (tattoo) on the face of Mary. In doing so, he has likened her to an Ariki Tapairu – the firstborn female in a family of high rank. Ariki Tapairu were invested with special tapu (sacredness). They weren’t allowed to marry or be touched by men, and their full moko signified their status.
Mary also appears to be standing on a head. In Māori symbolism, this is a reminder that man comes from woman.
While he was the Executive Officer of the New Zealand Catholic Commission for Evangelisation, Justice and Development, Manuka Henare wrote:
Art can be a force for change or it can maintain the status quo. According to Māori thinking, the artist is a vehicle used by God to express the artistry of their genius. If the work of art is successful, the supernatural intervention is said to occur and qualities of ihi, wehi (awe, respect) are felt to be present …
The Madonna and Child tekoteko are part of a wider cultural expression. They mediate between people and their new notion and insight about God, and represent an attempt to mediate, not just Māori-to-Māori, but also Māori-to-Pākehā … (2)
Both tekoteko were carved at a time when Catholic and Protestant missionaries discouraged adaptation of carvings for Christian purposes. Māori religious knowledge was denigrated as primitive superstition and the missionaries regarded carvings as images of false gods.
According to stories, both tekoteko were, on separate occasions, presented to local parish priests for use in the Catholic chapels near Maketu and Ōhinemutu. However, the priests believed the carvings might upset the Pākehā parishioners, and the gifts were declined.
Attitudes have since changed. In 1986, the Madonna and Child tekoteko from the Auckland Museum held pride of place at the Auckland Domain when Pope John Paul II was welcomed to Aotearoa by Māori people.
References
1. Neich, Roger (2001). Carved Histories, Rotorua Ngati Tarawhai Woodcarving. Auckland University Press, p197
2. Henare, Manuka (1986). ‘Māori Catholic Beginnings’. In The Visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, New Zealand, November 22-24. Wellington: [Papal Visit Aotearoa].
Text originally published in Tai Awatea, Te Papa's onfloor multimedia database (2001).