There is a strong bond in Maoridom with this 'world of light' - the spiritual homeland we are all heading for. Back home at the Marae (meeting house) one is sheltered in the body of an ancestor. The patterns here represent the ancestor's moko (trad. facial tatoo). Women use flax to weave whariki (mats) for the Marae, which are of great significance.

Thomas Lauterbach: www.maoriimages.org