When the Maori arrived to colonize New Zealand, they brought with them special design patterns. These patterns, referred to as Kowhaiwhai, are slightly different for each tribe. They were used in paintings or as a means of decorating the bow of war canoes, canoe paddles, containers, and the community meeting house, known as the wharenui. The ridge pole and rafters of these meetings houses as well as the window trimmings and doors were covered with these intricate patterns. Each curve or swirl would have a specific name and some of the patterns were made to represent natural objects such as sharks or the beaks of parrots and sometimes as rolling waves. The colors used for painting these designs were limited to black, red, and white. The black color was usually made from soot and the red from ochre mixed with shark oil.
