Koru
Rebirth ~ Purity ~ Peace
Koru is the Māori word for 'loop'. The spiral shaped koru design graphically represents an unfolding silver fern frond. The circular movement towards an inner coil refers to ‘going back to the beginning’. The unfurling frond itself is symbolic for new life, new beginnings, a new start and hope.
The Koru is often associated with nurturing, so is frequently used to represent the strength and purity of a loving relationship within a family.
We have a wide array of koru designs. Some are purely the koru carved as a single design and others have the koru integrated in some other primary carving - a toki, manaia or hook for example.
It is not uncommon in traditional art to find koru swirls integrated into other complex carved designs. This can be partly because they are visually very attractive, but also because of the underlying symbolism of the koru - it is a symbol that looks to the future in a positive way.