Kura Koiwi: Bone Treasures

Description

Brian Flintoff is one of New Zealand's foremost bone carvers. Though he is pakeha, it is his journey into the world of Maori art that has provided him with his greatest inspiration and direction as a carver. The knowledge, sensitivity and skill that he brings to his work has seen him gain enormous respect within both the Maori and European worlds, and his carvings are treasured as taonga throughout the country. Kura Koiwi is both a personal account of Brian Flintoff's career as a carver, but also an important exploration of Maori art and how it relates to carving. Heavily illustrated with exquisite examples of his, and other people's work, this book explains the mythology and symbolism behind his work, and in doing so provides an inspiring window into the power and beauty of our indigenous culture. Conceived as a sister publication to Taonga Puoro: Singing Treasures, his acclaimed earlier book on Maori musical instruments, Kura Koiwi is an elegant and insightful contribution to the literature about Maori art that will be cherished by any who cares about this culture.

Brian Flintoff is a master bone-carver, whose work is held on marae through Aotearoa and in private and public collections and museums throughout the world. He has been carving for over 35 years, and has been most influenced in his work by traditional Maori artists, as well as artists from other indigenous cultures, especially that of the West Coast Canadian Indian tribes. He is the author of Taonga Puoro: Singing Treasures, about the musical instruments of the Maori, and Brian is also widely regarded as one of Aotearoa's pre-eminent makers of Maori instruments. He works from his home studio in Nelson.