Taonga Māori books

Books about the history, artistry and cultural significance of te ao Māori and taonga Māori.

Te Ata o Tū The Shadow of Tūmatauenga: The New Zealand Wars Collections of Te Papa

Accessible, important guide to the taonga relating to the New Zealand wars held by Te Papa.

Flora: Celebrating Our Botanical World

The magnificent plant world of Aotearoa New Zealand in art and object.

Book cover of a stairs in a tunnel made of clay.

Ngā Kaihanga Uku: Māori Clay Artists

A celebration of the revival and mana of Māori ceramic art.

Hei Taonga mā ngā Uri Whakatipu | Treasures for the Rising Generation: The Dominion Museum Ethnological Expeditions 1919–1923

A landmark book about four remarkable museum expeditions that contributed to a recovery of Māori society

He Paki Taonga i a Māui_David Brechin-Smith

He Paki Taonga i a Māui: He Putanga Kōrero Mai i Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa

Join Māui as he shares stories for tamariki based on taonga from the Te Papa collection

Crafting Aotearoa: A Cultural History of Making in New Zealand and the Wider Moana Oceania

A landmark publication that takes another look at craft and its broader cultural role.

Te Hei Tiki: An Enduring Treasure in a Cultural Continuum

Of all Māori personal adornments, the human figure pendants known as hei tiki are the most famous, highly prized and culturally iconic. This book celebrates the long history of hei tiki and the enduring cultural potency of these taonga.

Protest Tautohetohe: Objects of Resistance, Persistence and Defiance

An illustrated history of protest and activism in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Whatu Kākahu | Māori Cloaks (Second Edition)

A celebration of the science and art of Māori weaving, focused on the largest collection of Māori cloaks in the world.

Museums and Māori: Heritage Professionals, Indigenous Collections, Current Practice

This ground-breaking book explores the revolution that’s transformed New Zealand museums in recent decades, and is influencing how museums worldwide care for indigenous objects.

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Te Papa Press

Discover popular, award-winning books about New Zealand’s art, culture, and natural world.

Forthcoming books

Discover more about the titles coming soon and available for pre-order.

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Our authors

The curators, academics, storytellers, illustrators, artists, scientists, photographers, and biographers behind our titles.