Walk into any traditional Māori meeting house — a wharenui — and look up. The rafters are painted with flowing, interlocking scroll patterns in red, black, and white. These are kōwhaiwhai — one of the most distinctive and meaningful art forms in Māori visual culture, and a foundational design element in every Ngaru Toa garment.
What Are Kōwhaiwhai?
Kōwhaiwhai are the curvilinear scroll patterns used in traditional Māori painting, most commonly seen on the rafters (heke) of meeting houses. The word itself refers to the flowing, wave-like movement of the patterns — ngaru in te reo Māori means wave, which is also the first word in Ngaru Toa.
The patterns are built from a small number of core motifs — the koru (unfurling fern frond), the pitau (scroll), and various interlocking forms — combined and mirrored to create complex, rhythmic designs. Each pattern is bilaterally symmetrical, with one side mirroring the other in a complementary colour, representing the duality of the world: light and dark, life and death, male and female.
The Meaning Behind the Patterns
Kōwhaiwhai are not purely decorative. Each pattern carries whakapapa — genealogical and cultural knowledge encoded in visual form. The specific patterns used in a wharenui tell the story of the iwi (tribe) that built it: their ancestors, their history, their values.
The colours are equally significant. Red (whero) represents the life force, blood, and the earth. Black (pango) represents the void, the unknown, and the spiritual realm. White (mā) represents purity, light, and the world of the living. Together, they form a complete visual language.
Kōwhaiwhai at Ngaru Toa
At Ngaru Toa, kōwhaiwhai patterns are applied to hoodies, tees, boardshorts, and headwear with the same cultural intention they carry in a wharenui. The brand’s 35-year history in Gisborne — the heartland of East Coast Māori culture — means these patterns are used with deep understanding, not as decoration.
The Ngaru Toa colour palette — red, black, and white — mirrors the traditional kōwhaiwhai palette exactly. This is not coincidence. It is a deliberate connection between the brand’s visual identity and the oldest traditions of Māori art.
Wear the Pattern
Browse the Ngaru Toa collection at ngarutoa.com and find kōwhaiwhai woven through every piece. Free shipping to Australia and New Zealand.
Read Next: Koru Symbol Meaning: Why This Pattern Defines Māori Fashion | The Language of the Land: Māori Patterns & Symbolism