In his paper, “On the fine perception of colours etc.”, William Colenso describes the use of colour by pre-European Māori from his first-hand experience of having met and observed the work of elderly Māori still alive at the time. The legacy he provides offers a rare glimpse into how ancient Māori created and used colour, shape, and texture for various purposes. We have tried to bring to life Colenso’s legacy by applying elements he describes in a contemporary frame; using colours described, creating letterpress printing inks from natural sources to produce prints, making use of printing substrates made from locally produced materials, iconographic representations of the source materials and artefacts produced by those that Colenso worked with.