Box

Carving of a crouched or squatting figure carrying a box on its back, with another humanoid figure on the box lid. The base is horseshoe-shaped and flat. Both figures are asymmetrical. The main figure has its left (two-fingered) hand held to its left cheek, and carved moko (tattooing) on its face. It also has paired curved haehae (grooves) on its head and two koru (bulbed hook shapes) in the area of the left eyebrow. The upper lip and chin have "blank spirals" which may also be koru and there is another possible koru shape on the back of the loin area. The figure on the lid has its (three-fingered) right hand held to its chest, and three toes on each foot. It has one large (right) nostril, two teeth in a beaked mouth, and carved decoration on the right side of the forehead. Each knee has a spiral and there are elliptical shapes on each shoulder. Both figures have elliptical, shell-inlaid eyes. Most of the rest of the surface is covered with rauponga (several parallel ridges with a notched ridge between) and whakarare (a distorted rauponga pattern where the parallel ridges regularly curve across the notched ridge). The lid is attached to the base by two rectangular pegs and holes. There are traces of red pigment in the peg holes.