This book presents an overview of Maori wood sculpture in New Zealand, examining its stylistic features, cultural significance and symbolic meaning within traditional Maori society. It is a scholarly introduction to the wood carving traditions of the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The book analyses the stylistic characteristics, motifs and symbolic language of carved objects such as meeting house panels, canoe decorations and ceremonial artefacts. Barrow situates Maori wood sculpture within the broader context of Polynesian art, highlighting both shared traditions and regional particularities. He discusses carving techniques, materials and the role of the carver within Maori society, where artistic production is closely linked to genealogy, mythology and spiritual belief systems. The study also explores the cultural function of carved objects, emphasizing their importance in ritual, social structure and the preservation of ancestral identity. Through a combination of visual documentation and analytical interpretation, the work provides a foundational understanding of Maori sculpture as both an artistic and cultural practice. Terence Barrow (1923-2003) was a New Zealand anthropologist and art historian specialising in Polynesian art. He worked as a museum curator and published extensively on Oceanic material culture, contributing significantly to the academic study of Maori and Pacific art traditions.