Definition of tekoteko in English:
tekoteko
nounPlural tekotekos ˈtɛkəʊtɛkəʊ
NZ A carved human figure that adorns the gable end of a Maori meeting house.
these structures may be enriched with carved tekotekos
he points up to the tekoteko and says it is because of it that we are related
Example sentencesExamples
- The tekoteko is a stylized representation of the main progenitor of a tribe.
- Splinters ricochet from the one good eye of the tekoteko supine upon the floor.
- There are two known Maori tekoteko which depict Mary and Jesus.
- Another photographer's favourite will be the giant tekoteko (carved figures) around Eden Park.
- The tekoteko on the rooftop in front of the house represents the head, and the maihi (front barge boards) are the arms held out in welcome to visitors.
- Your eye would be drawn to the carved tekoteko, or ancestral figure that stands guard over the entrance of every carved house in this country.
- He made the Auckland Museum tekoteko around 1845.
- It’s never been established who carved the tekoteko displayed here.
- Giving Maori people the crumbs at the second level is a nonsense, and we've made it quite clear we are not interested in being a tekoteko (i.e. symbolic figurehead).
- Both tekoteko are good examples of cultural exchange between Maori and Pakeha.