Historical information
Professor Alan Merry commissioned the work from New Zealand artist Heke Collier as a gift to the College at his retirement from Council. This artwork was carved by Heke Collier in May-July 2016. It is made from native New Zealand Rimu timber. Heke named this carving Mauri Ora which translates to vitality, well-being or the healing life-force. Tihei Mauri Ora (breath of life) is a well-known Māori saying that was uttered by the first human being. Māori believe that all people and all things have mauri. This carving symbolises the many shapes and forms of mauri with reference to the Māori creation story, and the spiritual and natural worlds.
Māori refer to the heavens as Ranginui the sky-father and according to the Māori creation story, Ranginui was pressed against Papatūānuku the earth mother. Their children did not like living in the cramped, dark space between them. One of their sons Tāne separated Ranginui and Papatūānuku to allow light and life into the world. The central male figure carved into Mauri Ora (above) is Tāne. To his right (far right) is his mother Papatūānuku and to his left (far left) is his father Ranginui.
Papatūānuku gives birth to all things including human kind and provides the physical and spiritual basis for life. The takarangi (spiral) design in the carving (to the left of Tāne) symbolises the life cycle. Whenua, the word for land also means placenta - organ that nourishes the baby in the womb. Women are associated with the land (whenua) because the land gives birth to people and so do women. In tribal history women have had influence over land and men. Papatūānuku is depicted in the carving to the right of Tāne.
Ranginui played a pivotal role in the birth of the sun, moon, planets, stars and constellations – collectively called Te Whānau Mārama (the family of light). Human life and knowledge were said to originate in the realm of Ranginui. Tāne ascended the heavens to retrieve three baskets of knowledge: te kete-tuatea (basket of light), te kete-tuauri (basket of darkness) and te kete-aronui (basket of pursuit). Ranginui is depicted in the carving to the left of Tāne.
Tāne had many different roles, and he was given different names to reflect these roles. He is called Tāne-mahuta as god of the forest, Tāne-te-wānanga as the bringer of knowledge, and Tāne-te-waiora as the bringer of life, prosperity, and welfare. His teachings and knowledge are relevant in contemporary times, and the cell-phone carved into his left hand represents this. Tuatara feature in the Māori creation story and some tribes view Tuatara as kaitiaki (guardians) of knowledge. Given that they have lived for more than 220million years. There are birds or manu surrounding Tāne in the carving, who represent Tane’s voice or the voice of the forest. The flax or harakeke depicted in the carving represent the family unit and reinforce the importance of kinship ties. There are plants, ferns, and birds carved into Mauri Ora play an integral role in the life-cycle which represent rongoa Māori or Māori medicine.
Physical description
Traditional Māori carving in Rimu, a native New Zealand wood, with paua insets.
