Koru

In Maori design, the greenstone koru has a dual meaning. It is commonly used in Maori art as a symbol of creation due to its fluid circular shape. Based on the unfurling fern frond of the native New Zealand silver fern, the circular shape of the koru conveys the idea of perpetual movement. Its inner coil, the corm, with its rolled inner leaflets, suggests a return to the point of origin. In the larger scheme, this is a metaphor for the way in which life both changes and stays the same. Some have determined that the koru represents harmony. Between the chaos of change and calm of the every day, there is a point of equilibrium, a state of harmony in life. In its balanced shape, the koru represents this. The koru is also said to represent new life. Literally speaking, the baby fern frond slowly unwinds over its adolescent life as it grows into a mature frond. It then opens into a brand new leaf on the silver fern plant where it ages and then dies. This is the fern fronds life cycle. When it is at the frond stage, it can be associated with a baby in form; this is how people associate the koru design with new life.