Attributed to Rongomaiwahine iwi (tribe), Taurapa (sternpost)
1500-1800 from Mahia, Hawke's
Bay, wood. Gift of Mr Ormond
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Spiralling back
The taurapa
(canoe sternpost) provides spiritual
protection and inspiration for
warriors who travel in the waka
(canoe). It links them, through
their ancestral lines, to the
Māori creation story.
Here, these
links are expressed through the
pïtau (openwork spirals).
The lizard-like manaia bites
down on the ira atua (the gods)
and the ira tangata (humanity),
wrestling with them as symbols
of good and evil. The rib-form
carvings represent the god Tāne's
epic ascent into the heavens
to obtain the three baskets of
knowledge and the secrets of
life they contain.
Two long trailing
streamers often adorn taurapa,
acknowledging Tāwhirimātea
(god of the winds) and Tangaroa
(god of the sea), the vessel's
guardians.
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