Wheku Standing Artwork in MADINZ Presentation Box

It is important to note that the figures in Maori carving, with rare exceptions, are not religious, but secular. They do not represent idols, but renowned ancestors (tipuna) of the tribe. The Wheku as found at the apex of the gable on the front of a large carved house, symbolises an important ancestor after whom the house was named. The house itself represents his body. The sloping bargeboards being his arms (maihi), the rafters (heke) being his ribs and the inside being his stomach or bosom (poho). The head is usually represented on its own with no part of the body visible. In old houses, it is actually carved on the projecting end of the ridgepole (tahuhu) and the body of the figure will be seen on the ridgepole. There are many tribal variations in how the head is represented. The three main styles of the head in Maori carving are: the wheku, the koruru and the ruru, each distinguished by the shape around the eyes.
 
This single-sided piece of art boasts super fine detail, paua inlay and comes complete with stylish black base. This artwork is crafted from Gaboon veneer plywood, medium density fibreboard (mdf) and embellished with NZ Paua laminate. 

Measures H24.5 x W13.5cm 
 
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