Date1993DescriptionTe Puna Wai Mātauranga – Blossom of Knowledge
Carved in 1993 by Bob Koko, this sculpture represents the Polynesian hero Tāwhaki and references his ascent to the heavens. According to the nearby plaque, Tāwhaki marries a high-born celestial being named Tangotango. Drawn by his deeds and beauty, Tangotango seeks him out and eventually gives birth to their daughter. After a quarrel, Tangotango returns to her celestial home with their child. In despair, Tāwhaki follows, aided by his grandmother Matakerepo, ascending to the heavens to be reunited with his family.
There are many versions of the Tāwhaki story. In the carving, Tāwhaki holds in his left hand a long rod symbolising a vine and a bolt of lightning—marking him as a descendant of the gods. Before she departs, Tangotango offers a final piece of advice should Tāwhaki choose to follow her: to climb the vine firmly rooted in the ground, not the loose one. This warning is echoed by their grandmother Matakerepo, guardian of the vines leading to the heavens.
Tāwhaki's brother Karihi ignores the advice and grabs the loose vine. He is violently tossed by the winds and, depending on the version of the story, either barely survives or falls to his death—having failed to heed wisdom. Learning from this, Tāwhaki climbs the vine grounded firmly in earth, the one that bridges heaven and earth.
This vine is called te aka matua—the parent vine—and is attributed to both Tāwhaki and Tāne as the path used to bring the gifts of knowledge to humanity, including seafaring—the knowledge that allowed our ancestors to traverse the great ocean highways.
Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato is more than a repository of raw information. In this age of information abundance, the ability to assess credibility and apply knowledge meaningfully is an essential skill. The book held in Tāwhaki’s right hand reinforces the importance of nurturing the connection between learning and wisdom.
“Knowledge is no good without wisdom to apply it properly.”CreatorBob Koko
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