However, Creative New Zealand which owns the "toi iho" brand says it never delivered on its promise of increasing sales of Maori art and a difficult decision to scrap it had to be made.
From today, CNZ will start telling 243 artists and retailers they have three months to wind down their use of toi iho before it becomes defunct.
CNZ's Maori arts board, Te Waka Toi, created the mark in 2002 using just over $1 million of public funding.
Ata Te Kanawa represented Nga Puna Waihanga, an arts organisation considered one of Maoridom's most important, during the consultation phase.
The basic premise of the quality standard was to assure buyers of authenticity, Ms Te Kanawa said.
She was critical of Creative New Zealand's marketing efforts since the brand's inception saying momentum never built around it.
"It was their responsibility to push."
CNZ's chief executive Stephen Wainwright said is was "possibly" a fair criticism that not everything had been done to push the brand, which cost $320,000 a year to administer.
He said there were difficulties around the business model.
While the trademark created a relationship between artist and retailer, CNZ's role was less clear.
