HUI AT MANUTUKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1693, 8 March 1913, Page 11

HUI AT MANUTUKE.

PAST AND PKESBNT OF THE MAORI.

[Br Imogen.]

0, thou my house; how standest thou? \ . I must depart and leave thee , Built by ,tho little kneeling gods— ~Constructed by tho fairies bomng low. The Haku-turi gods , loud shouted o'er theo x Their house of triumph AY hen first X made thee Aline own abode. ! . ■ (Lament of Ua-mai-rangi for his house.) ! —— I A notable event in the nnnals of tho Maoris of tho North Island is tho "hui" which is now taking place at Manutuke. For. weeks and months it has been steadily held in vi3w, and great,prepara.tions havo been made for the entertainment of the great number of Natives who were expected to attend it from every part of tho island. It is a gathering together of family by family, house by house, tribe by tribe, to the . greatest korero that has ever been held or is ever again likely to be held, says tho Gisborne "Times," and the principal reason for it is the opening of the new church which has been built to replaco tho ono that _was burnt somo four years ago—an irrc•parable loss because of the magnificent Maori carving, tho best examples of their art in tho whole of the Dominion, that shared in its destruction.

Impossible to Imitate. Tho description of this new building as given in the Gisborne "Times," states that the interior of tho new church is heavily decorated with carving executed by the bast present-day masters of the art. ■ There are about 38 ' huge carved slabs or panels on the sides and at the . end of the church, whilo a carved frieze is neatly executed, and the communion table, communion rail, tho lecteru, and prayer desk are'also richly, carved, although in thti old church they were plain. Judged by the standard of. perfection attained by the work of tho old carvers in the destroyed church, tho new carving is frankly disappointing, but taking' the slabs without reference to the work which has disappeared, the general effect .is quite pleasing. An attempt was made to imitate tho conceptions, tho patterns, and the execution of the old panels, but Te Tuhi, the head carver from Eotorua, confesses that lie. has failed. Hp states that he had never seen such beautiful ' and intricate carving as that which decorated the old church, and he ami, his men found it quite impossible to imitate it.' Nevertheless, as mentioned before, the carvings arc of high'artistic merit, and will be preserved as the best sample of work of the modern Maori artist. \ And yet the work done by the Maoris 1 of to-day. was done with all tho tools and ' appliances that modern life has brought into being, and the carving that was comi pleted so many years ago when the white man was an unknown/being in New Zealand was worked with chisels of wood,, . greenstone knives, pieces of bone, stono

hammers, and tools of wood or stone. Generations, decades, and years went to the perfecting of a piece of work, and one cannot help thinking there is a good deal of their psychology to bo found in this difference. Then he was imbued with the artist's passionate longing to .produce nothing but/the best ho was capable of, and time and infinite patience l . and, most loving care was put int{> his work. Then ho had a reputation to sustain, not only his own, but that of tho generations behind him whom lie must not shame, and eo it was always his bast that faced tho light of day, and the criticism or admiration- of lus fellows. An Artist by Nature. in so many instances, ho has becoifte slovenly, slap-dash v ,]azy, with no incentive to excel, and'with so much of tlie history and tho traditions / of his race thrown to the winds. To become like the pakeha in all ways is one of his ambitions and the worst of it is that the unadmirnble ways are always the easiest to sn'eze upon, old Adam being as string in the Maori as in the 'jakeha. Naturally this dilferenco makes itself felt in all his undertakings. It m'a.V bo that this phase will be but, a transitional one and that he will in days to'come work to recall his heritage and alty it . with all that the present day can offer him in the way of becoming an equal citizen 1 with the pakeha. One most sincerely hopes so. ' ' - i Instinctively the Maori of olden times was an artist. One has only to visit the Maori sectidn of a museum to becomo aware of his 'lovq of art,' possibly unconventional art because it is always <is he wishes it to be produced not as it really might appear to him. Plain surfaces were apparently an nbhorence • to him and lie rarely left them unadorned, even tho simplest and most cvery-day article of use being robbed of its plain severity of aspect. Even the little receptacle made of pumice stone for holding red ochre was taken in hand and roughly (owing to its nature) ornamented with curved lines and figures. Out of the Dim Ages. One cannot help feeling that much of the evolution and psychology of tho Maori is embodied in his carving, and there must bo a great field for the student of Maori art in which to delve and dig. One of thp most noticeablo features in it is tho almost universality of curving lines, circles aiul waved effects with sometimes a straight line ending with a hook. One theory is that tho young frond of tho fern treo has served as a \ model for the coil which is even-where round in Maori carving. And yet, if the Maori came from India, as some people surmise, might it not be the Indian symbol of eternity—that of the circle sub-con-iciousl.v produced. Another theory is that in the land from which the Maori originally come were tuauy monster*, among them being the

snake, and that it is his dim remembrance of snako worship that we see in these curving lines and in his representations of snakes. Tho latter is fullj seen in tho Maori ear-ornament, the koropepe. It is also to bo seen in tho largo boards of a carved house inland of Qpotiki, according to Mr. Percy Smith in his book, "Ilawniki," in which lie mentions this snake theory.

With tho carved Maori heads everywhere to bo seen about Maori villages and meeting-houses everyone is familiar. They even adorn tho palisades outside tho buildings and gazo down upon one with a baleful glare iiP their mother Df pearl eyes, sometimes with derision, as much as to say: "What would you not give to know what wo could tell you r" One cannot imagine, looking at his figuro of men, that the Maori ever bothered about faithful likenesses. lie made his figure, it seems to oue, merely to be a medium to express his ideal man—man tho fighter,' the indomitable slayer, tho spirit of dread. Strength and bravery and an utter fear of death were the things ho most admired in_ his fellows and that ho wished to materialise. The protruding tongue derides all things, and defies all things. Perfectly wonderful are the varied expressions that tho Maoris contrive to give those beings, a notable instanco of this being the carved figures that greet one at tile entrance of tho Sanatorium grounds at Rotorua. There you find every conceivable expression on tho face of these wooden creatures and also almost every attitude. Ferocity pride, liib'aldry, malevolence, derision, and many other things find an embodiment in them, and one is irresistibly compelled to stop and contemplate them 110 matter how often one entered the grounds. They are doubtless modern carvings.

Combined with, their wonderful sense of proportion, snioothncss of work, anil exactitude of design is immense vigour, and an incredible feeling for style. Wonderful, too, is the effect prodiiced by their combination of red, white, aud black colours in line or curved design painted 011 the beams and rafters. One has only to enter -any of their old meetinghouses to realise this and to feel the dignity,' simplicity, and virility of their work, as well as its grace. Tt may be monotonous, but it is extraordinarily effective, and is a keynote to the Maori character, at anyrate, as it was in tho days that have passed. IRISH CRAFTS. Miss Yeats, the poet's,sister, is quite as valuable an artist as her brother, writes an English correspondent. Her needlecraft, much of it original, much from designs chosen from the "Book of Kells," is worth visiting Dublin to see. For those interested in such delicate arts, the revival of the lace industry in Ireland is also a matter for high thankfulness. The Irish Industries Society has depots in all thb principal towns, and as the work is fostered from the vice-regal lodge aijd other exalted places, the workers are paid liberally. A flounce or scarf of Irish taco is the gift' of all gifts at a fashionable

Irish bride's wedding. Miss Josie lledmond, daughter of the Irish leader, who was married last week, was the lucky recipient of some exquisita specimens, ill particular a lace fall of unique design, from Lady Aberdeen. Another local industry that has become a paying concern is the working up of light local timbers, especially those of Kilkenny, into pictureframes, clock cases, and kindred articles. Lady Desrat has mado this her special enthusiasm, and provides employment for .many young women. YOUR COMPLEXION IN SUMMER. During summer, and when long davs are spent in the open air, the care of the complexion Incomes a matter of great importance. Even girls who do not go in for athletics have to face the problem, for there are race meetings and many,garden parties. All open-air functions work havoc with tho complexion. But in these enlightened days women may with impunity golf mill motor, hunt and yacht and trolic in the surf, knowing full well that Valaze will put to rout every freckle, dispel tail and sunburn, and restore clearness and whiteness to the .'kin. The price of Valazo is 4s. and "s. a jar. Mademoiselle- Ilulinstein recommends the use of the following preparations for the summer months:—Noveiia Sunproof Crcme, an outdoor specific which shields the complexion from the sun as well •■as the wind, imparts a"soft, clear appearance to the skin, and prevents freckles, sunburn, and tan. Price, 2s. and 3s. Gd. Valazo Complexion Powder for greasy, over-moist skins; Noveiia Poudre for dry and normal skins—each in three tints. Price, 2s. Cd. a box. Valazo Snow Lotion, a delightful toilet lotion for greasy, coarse, red, and shiny* skins. It coots, soothes, and whitens the skill, and imparts a fresh, soft, ivory-liko appearance. Price, 3s. Cd. a bottle. Valazo Liquidine movents and lemoves uncomfortable flushing, and bestows a soft, dull appearance, which remains on for hours. A unique remedy for acne, jiimples, blotches, and blackheads; price, ss. and Bs. Cd. Write for Helena ltubinstoin's interesting and instructive book, "Beauty in tho Making." It contains quite the latest ideas, and is sent free. Tho Valazo Specialties are sold by I-Vuliug druggists throughout l tho nonunion., They will also 1:o d.ispotchcd direct, post free, from Mile. Helena "Rubinstein's ONLY address in New Zealand— 55 Maison Valaze, Strand Arcade, Queen Street, Auckland.