item details
NameSpinning chair
ProductionUnknown; Late 19th To Early 20th Century; New Zealand
Classificationfurniture, seating furniture, furnishings
Materialskauri (wood)
Techniqueswoodcarving
DimensionsOverall: 475mm (width), 990mm (height), 345mm (length)
Registration NumberGH010811
Credit linePurchased 2005
Overview
This high-backed, armless, spinning chair is made from kauri (native New Zealand tree: Agathis australis). It is a fine example of local folk art from around 1900.
Pseudo-Māori decoration
The chair's legs, seat and most of its back are decorated with pseudo-Māori decoration, evoking the rauponga (spiral) style of carving. There are pākati (dog tooth pattern) notches alternating with longer haehae lines (parallel grooves). The back of the chair features a solid panel of incised carving that depicts a hūia (extinct New Zealand bird: Heteraalocha acutirostris) sitting on the branch of a tree.