Overview
Wakahuia & Papahou
Wakahuia and papahou are terms applied to a class of wooden containers that are designed to hold treasured personal adornments, such as amulets, breast and ear pendants, and combs and bird feathers worn in the hair. Made from wood they were usually elaborately carved and designed to be suspended from the ceiling of a whare (house or dwelling) so that the ornately carved underside could be admired. They are more commonly referred to as ‘Māori treasure boxes’ by non-Māori and in the mid-to-late 19th century were occasionally adapted to imitate European style treasure boxes with hinged lids and feet.
These containers were often given personal names and became highly valued taonga (cultural treasures) possessing both mana (prestige) and tapu (sacredness), qualities that they acquired by association with their owners. The taonga they held also acquired tapu through being worn on the body of their owners, and this is especially true of taonga worn on the head, the most tapu part of the body. This enhanced the overall prestige and value of these containers in Māori society. And as a result they became highly treasured family and tribal heirlooms.
Wakahuia and papahou are stylistic variations of the same form. Wakahuia are generally ovoid in shape and occur in most tribal regions; while papahou, which are oblong or rectangular in shape, tend to occur only in Taranaki and the north Auckland-Northland regions of the North Island. Both forms typically range in size from between 30-60cm in length.
Other terms by which these receptacles are known are: waka-kautuku, waka-pare, papa-huia, papa-raukura.