Redwood Library Te Kete Wānanga o Te Kōpare o Iho 150 tukutuku panel

This panel was designed, created and constructed by the Redwood Library Team, as part of the Tukutuku project in 2009 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Christchurch City Libraries.

Te Kōpare o Iho – Heart of the tree

• Yarn, ribbon, carded fleece, chenille, scoobies, wire, beads.
  
• 122 x 60 cm
• Our name: Te Kete Wänanga o Te Kōpare o Iho means The Heart of the Tree. We based our panel around the redwood tree and the totara tree, being the Maori equivalent of a ‘tree of knowledge’, growing from a large red heart. There are many redwood trees in the area particularly the large one situated near the Redwood School. The tree is woven in the 'staircase' pattern to symbolise poutama - knowledge. The Redwood Library is also seen by many as the heart of our community.
• Food gathering: this area is a traditional associated with exercising 'mahiki kai' rights, of food gathering. Many birds and fish species that formed part of the staple diet where found in this area. We have represented this in the use of diamond shape pattern, kaokoato depict abundance.
• Plant materials were also gathered from this area, raupö and harakeke which are also depicted in the weaving.
• Alternate rows of crosses in the 'heavens' – purapurawhetu – represent the ancestors and other early inhabitants of the area. The Matatriki constellation of seven stars represents each of the staff members of the Redwood team – 'seven sisters'.
• The chevron patterned border represents kaokao, - strength, of our community and literacy through life-long learning.
  

Panel creation

Images from flickr of making of the panel.

Related pages

• Library 150 Anniversary website
• The 150 Tukutuku panels
• Our Art Collections