What are Tukutuku?

Source: Photos, Auckland Museum, 2024

What are Tukutuku?

Tukutuku are decorative patterns brought by the Māori people from Polynesia hundreds of years ago. These intricate designs are featured on tukutuku panels, which were traditionally used as decorative elements in the walls of meeting houses. 

"Tukutuku or arapaki is a type of ornamental weaving using reed latticework rather than threads. It is used mainly to adorn the inside walls of wharenui (meeting houses). The tukutuku panels are placed between the carved wall slabs of the wharenui, and, like the carvings, convey a complex language of visual symbols.

Traditional tukutuku is made from kākaho (toetoe reeds) set vertically side by side, with kaho (horizontal wooden laths) lashed in front of them. The kaho are coloured red or black. On this framework coloured patterns are produced by thin strips of native grasses laced round both the kākaho and the kaho. The sedge commonly used is pīngao, a bright yellow sand sedge, and kiekie, which is bleached white, or dyed black much as muka is dyed for weaving."

Source: Kahutoi Te Kanawa, 'Māori weaving and tukutuku – te raranga me te whatu - Tāniko and tukutuku', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/maori-weaving-and-tukutuku-te-raranga-me-te-whatu/page-3 (accessed 4 August 2024) Story by Kahutoi Te Kanawa, published 22 Oct 2014

This method of construction created a warm, insulating type of decorative wallboard. Stitches were combined to form a variety of patterns. Some of the traditional tukutuku patterns are:

1. Pātiki (flounder)

2. Rīpeka (cross)

3. Poutama (stairway to heaven)

4. Tapatoru (triangle)

5. Kaokao (armpit)

6. Niho Taniwha (teeth of the monster).

7. Roimata Toroa (the tears of the albatross)

Tukutuku are woven panels that decorate meeting houses, placed between the carvings on the walls called poupou. They help tell stories of life and work together with the carvings on either side. While this is a basic overview, each tukutuku pattern has a deeper spiritual meaning. The Māori are great storytellers, and these patterns are one way they share their stories. 

Tukutuku patterns are different for each iwi all around Aotearoa. Some designs are special to certain iwi and might have different names depending on where you are. The stories behind these patterns can also change from one iwi to another. 

For more details on what each pattern means and the algebraic patterns they show, please check the following pages. 

Exercise:

Watch the videos below which explain the importance of tukutuku panels.

Modern Tukutuku

When used nowadays, tukutuku panels are created for their artistic appeal. 

1. Modern Art based on tukutuku

See http://duanemoyle.wordpress.com/

2,  See below the interior of NZ Supreme Court building based on tukutuku