Treasure Box

An oval wakahuia (treasure box) made of carved wood. The surface decoration of both the lid and the box is a rauponga whakarare pattern (alternating haehae and pākati with continuous hooks). There are large carved wheku (carved face that depicts an ancestor) heads at either end of the box with their tongues extended. Their eyes are pāua (abalone) shell. There is a hole in the center of the lid.

A wakahuia is a carved wooden box used to contain personal belongings that are important to the owner. These items were generally used for adornment and could be feathers that were used in the hair, pendants, combs, etc. Because the items kept within the wakahuia carried the mana of their owners and ancestors, the wakahuia itself became a sacred object, symbolising the transmission of identity and status. Wakahuia were typically suspended from the ceilings of Māori homes, signifying both protection and reverence for their contents. There was also a practical aspect of the box being suspended, as this meant that people could see the intricate carvings underneath. A wakahuia served not only a practical role but also a deeply spiritual one, preserving and honouring the mana of those who had come before.