Wooden box Wakahuia

Museum number: UEM189

Material: Wood

Region and culture: New Zealand - Maori 

Description: Treasure box or wakahuia from Hokianga, Aotearoa New Zealand. Dated to the Classical Maori Period (Te Puawiatanga 1500-1800). Considered to be a beautiful and functional taonga, the treasure box was used to store valuables such as nephrite ornaments (e.g. hei tiki) and feathers. The box was not necessarily carved by a specialist, but could have been made by people with a different range of skills, staying within the carving style of their own tribes. The box is associated with chiefs. Because of their high status, their possesions were often considered to be tapu. Meaning that accidents and death may occur if the object is not treated in a correct manner. The curvilinear patterns with the connected spirals could have both tribal affiliation and cosmological representation. The lid to the box was unfortunately stolen from the museum in 1960.  

The wakahuia was collected by Fredrik Ring during the 1820s, whilst being a tradesman in Valparaiso, Chile. Consul Ring donated the object to the Ethnographic museum in 1833.