This exceptional book highlights over 120 taonga tuku iho (ancestral Maori treasures) from Te Papa's collections. Rich images of these precious objects, are accompanied by stories from the artists who created the taonga, the people who used them in daily life, and their living descendants. Items include traditional carvings, weapons, waka huia (treasure containers), jewellery, and taonga such as puppets used by tohunga (ritual experts) and tools for tamoko (customary skin marking). Maps, diagrams, and additional photographs - both archival and contemporary - elaborate on the making of the taonga, and elucidate Maori life, art, and beliefs.