Box

54.160.106

Information

A rounded boat-shaped waka huia (treasure box) with humanoid heads, with protruding tongues at each end of the base forming handles. All carved decoration is on the outside of the box. The main design elements are eight double spirals covering most of base, and eight on the lid, with two humanoid faces on the base and two on the lid at centre sides. Their eyes are shell-inlaid. The surface pattern is based on rauponga (several parallel ridges and grooves with a notched ridge in between). Alternating bands of red and black paint remain in the grooves.