The is a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling silver fern frond. It is an integral symbol in

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace. Its shape "conveys the idea of perpetual movement," while the inner coil "suggests returning to the point of origin".

Use in traditional design

The ''koru'' is the integral motif of the symbolic and seemingly abstract ''kōwhaiwhai'' designs traditionally used to decorate '' wharenui'' (meeting houses). There are numerous semi-formal designs, representing different features of the natural world.

More recent adaptations

The logo of Air New Zealand, the

national carrier A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by the government for international operations. Hist ...

, incorporates a ''koru'' design — based on the Ngaru (

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...

) ''kōwhaiwhai'' pattern — as a symbol of New Zealand flora. The logo was introduced in 1973 to coincide with the arrival of the airline's first McDonnell Douglas DC-10 wide-body jet. Several other nationwide organisations also use a koru in their logos, among them the New Zealand Department of Conservation. In 1983, Friedensreich Hundertwasser based his proposed design for a secondary New Zealand flag on the symbol. It also formed the basis for a notable series of artworks by Gordon Walters. Koru swirls are also reminiscent of the Tomoe symbol in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The

New Zealand national korfball team The New Zealand national korfball team, nicknamed The Korus (though the correct plural for koru is ''koru''.), is the national team representing New Zealand in korfball international competitions. The team is managed by Korfball New Zealand (KNZI ...

is nicknamed ''The Korus'', although the plural for koru is ''koru''.Most Māori words form their plural through a changed definite article rather than any change in the word itself. Thus, the plural of ''Te koru'' (the koru) is ''Ngā koru''.

References

{{Reflist Māori art Māori words and phrases Visual motifs National symbols of New Zealand Spirals