Box

14.5.95.1

Information

An oval waka huia (treasure box) with humanoid heads forming handles at each end of the base. All carved decoration is on the outside of the box. A large female figure is carved in low relief on the lid, with its right hand held to its cheek. The rest of the carved decoration is based on rauponga (several parallel ridges and grooves with a notched ridge in between). These form two large double spirals on the base and run diagonally over the rest of the surface. They also form whakarare (a distorted pattern where several parallel ridges regularly curve across a notched ridge between them) along the central line of the base. There are traces of red paint in the grooves.