Taurapa (canoe sternpost)

This elaborately carved taurapa (canoe stern post) would have once stood vertically at the stern of a great waka taua (war canoe). To carve a waka taua took great skill, and canoe-makers acquired great mana (prestige) and reputations as priests and craftsmen for their ritual and technical expertise. These qualities were seen as inseparable and would have been highly desirable in the construction of waka taua, which were imbued with spiritual significance during the transportation of warriors over great distances.

Details
The taurapa carvings represent the story of Tāne (god of forests and birds) ascending the twelve heavens to obtain the three baskets of knowledge - kete tuauri (basket of peace, goodness, and love), kete tūātea (basket of prayer, incantations, and ritual), and kete aronui (basket of war, agriculture, wood, stone, and earth work) - in order to learn the secrets of life. On the way, his elder brother Whiro (evil) tries, unsuccessfully, to disrupt Tāne's journey. The most prevalent image on the taurapa is the manaia, or avian-like creature seen grappling with the two vertical rib forms representing the creative principles of life. The manaia is biting down on the tops of the two ribs, which represent ira-atua (the gods) and ira-tangata (humankind). The manaia is therefore symbollically battling the opposing notions of war and peace. The surrounding spiral system is called pitau meaning perforated spiral carving.

Feather streamers
Taurapa were often ornamented with two long streamers of feathers fixed along their length and trailing astern at the waterline. These related to Tāwhirimatea (god of the wind) and Tangaroa (god of the sea), who were the guardians of the vessel. Well-carved waka taua decked out in streamers and feathers, glistening with black oil, and carved in a dizzying array of spirals from end to end, would have been an incredible sight.