Pou tokomanawa (carved centre post)

This pou (carved figure) comes froma poutokomanawa- the central pole of one of the three supporting posts withina wharenui or whare tupuna (Maori ancestral house). His face is decorated with a full facial moko (tattoo); his eyes arepaua (New Zealand abalone) shell inserts.His body is completely carved in the front, whilehis back is undecorated except for the carved legs. His right hand holds a wahaika (short-bladed weapon used in hand to hand combat) and he wears a piupiu (flax skirt).

Wharenui
Wharenui are iconic symbols of Maori customs, genealogical ties, identity, and social bonds. The houses, elegantly and elaborately carved, contain the memorialised representations of ancestors from which the people who belong to the house are directly descended. The practice of ancestral representation within wharenui comes with its own protocols and sacred associations.The representation of an ancestor ismore than a signifier of that person, it is considered as potent as if the ancestor remained standing in front of you.