Category details
CategoryPoutokomanawa
Alternative termsPou matua, Pou roto, Pou tokomanawa
SourceMātauranga Māori Thesaurus
Overview
A freestanding support post for the ridgepole at the centre inside the house. Pou tokomanawa are generally squared through the greater part of their length, with the lower part carved to represent a naturalistic ancestral figure. Most pou tokomanawa figures removed from houses have had the upper post and lower earth footing cut off