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Story: Moriori

Carving of seals

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Carving of seals

These stylised seals were carved on the walls of a limestone cave on Rēkohu (Chatham Island). Seals had immense importance for Moriori, both as part of their diet and as symbols of the spiritual world.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: 1/2-080796

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Denise Davis and Māui Solomon, Moriori – The migrations from Hawaiki, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1683/carving-of-seals (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Denise Davis and Māui Solomon, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 March 2017.