Whakairo Rākau - National Wood Carving School

Often the bailer (tatā, tīheru or tā wai) was beautifully carved, and some were given a name. In canoe traditions, tribal members still name the bailers used on the original voyaging canoes from Polynesia.

Material: Tōtara (Red Pine)

Measurements: 270mm x 370mm

The tekoteko is a stylised representation of the main progenitor of a tribe and is the most focal point of the whare whakairo (carved tribal meeting house). They can be found – on traditional meeting houses – either at the highest point at the front apex of the roof or at the front central post. They can also be found at the base of the poutokomanawa (the main central ridge support post) of the house.

Material: Tōtara

Measurements: 865mm x 210mm x 180mm

Māripi are a traditional meat cutting tool. They are fashioned with a wooden handle and sharks’ teeth carved from Kōiwi (beef bone) to create a serrated edge.

Material: Rātā, Kōiwi (Beef Bone) & Pāua (Abalone)

Measurements: 340mm x 100mm x 30mm

Māripi are traditional meat-cutting tools, expertly crafted with a wooden handle and a serrated edge formed from the teeth of a Tuatini or seven-gilled shark. These teeth are carefully shaped and attached to the handle to enhance the tool's cutting effectiveness.

Material: Tōtara, Tuatini Niho (Seven-Gilled Shark Teeth) & Pāua (Abalone)

Measurements: 405mm x 125mm x 40mm

In Māori whakapapa (genealogy), all Māori flutes come to us from Hine Raukatauri, the daughter of Tānemahuta, the atua (spiritual entity) of the forest and birds. Hine Raukatauri is best known as the atua of flute music. She loved her flute so much that she chose to live inside it. She is now personified as the case moth that hangs from branches of trees in a long slender cocoon. This case moth cocoon is where the pūtōrino gets its shape from.

Material: Mataī (NZ Native)

Measurements: 400mm x 70mm x 50mm

Often the bailer (tatā, tīheru or tā wai) was beautifully carved and some were given a name. In canoe traditions, tribal members still name the bailers used on the original voyaging canoes from Polynesia.

Material: Tōtara

Measurements: 180mm x 300mm x 50mm

The Waka Pungarehu (Ash Urn) has two carved tekoteko (statues) positioned at the ends of the waka pungarehu which are carved in the traditional style of whakapakoko, resembling preserved corpses. The surface is intricately adorned with the raperape design, symbolizing the continuous cycle of life and the evolution of death. The pakati and haehae techniques are skillfully carved to enhance the entire waka pungarehu, with the distinctive pakati design known as niho kuri (dog’s teeth) adding a unique touch. The pakati designs feature iroiro (maggots) motifs, symbolizing the natural process of decomposition when a human body returns to the earth.

Material: Tōtara

Measurements: 450mm x 110mm x 90mm