Description (Physical description)
Large, flat beam or ridge pole from the great meeting house at Rahana. It was designed to cover the roof tree of the house from within the apex. The convex face is carved in relief with two conventionalized human figures, feet to feet, which are entirely covered with a scroll pattern. The eyes were originally set with haliotis shell. The space between the legs in one is filled in with an entire human figure and in the other with a human mask. The eyes of the latter are set with shell.


Event Date
Author: maa

Context (Display)
Exhibited: on display in the Maudslay Hall, freestanding, in a vertical position on an individual plinth from 1990 onwards
Event Date
Author: rachel hand

Context (References)
Part of a collection of Maori taonga sold on Thursday 4th July 1901 at J.C. Stevens' Auction Rooms, 38 King Street, Covent Garden. The catalogue of this sale is held in the Museum's Archives.
Under the heading 'Maori Curios', it gives the following extract from the Wanganui Herald of Feb. 20th 1901: 'A very valuable collection of historic Maori curios, one of the finest held by any private individual in the colony, has just been disposed of in Wanganui. We understand that the collection is to be exhibited throughout Australia and the Old Country. It is regrettable that such interesting relics of the Maori race, which in a few years will be almost as scarce as the Moa, are allowed to leave the colony. The price paid has not been divulged, but it runs into hundreds of pounds.' p.7. After this quotation, the catalogue notes: '(The above paragraph refers to this Collection.)'
It goes on: '(COPY OF DECLARATION) "I, William Edward Goffe, Government Land Purchaser Wanganui, do solemnly swear that the following curios are as represented in every detail. Sworn at Wanganui, New Zealand, before F.M. Spurdle, J.P., 19 Feb., 1901." - Extract from the WANGANUI HERALD of Wednesday February 20th, 1901'.
Event Date 1901
Author: rachel hand

Context (References)
Part of a collection of Māori taonga sold on Thursday 4th July 1901 at J.C. Stevens' Auction Rooms, 38 King Street, Covent Garden. The catalogue of this sale is held in the Museum's Archives.
Under the heading 'Māori Curios', it gives the following extract from the Wanganui Herald of Feb. 20th 1901: 'A very valuable collection of historic Maori curios, one of the finest held by any private individual in the colony, has just been disposed of in Wanganui. We understand that the collection is to be exhibited throughout Australia and the Old Country. It is regrettable that such interesting relics of the Maori race, which in a few years will be almost as scarce as the Moa, are allowed to leave the colony. The price paid has not been divulged, but it runs into hundreds of pounds.' p.7. After this quotation, the catalogue notes: '(The above paragraph refers to this Collection.)'
It goes on: '(COPY OF DECLARATION) "I, William Edward Goffe, Government Land Purchaser Wanganui, do solemnly swear that the following curios are as represented in every detail. Sworn at Wanganui, New Zealand, before F.M. Spurdle, J.P., 19 Feb., 1901." - Extract from the WANGANUI HERALD of Wednesday February 20th, 1901'.
Event Date 1901
Author: rachel hand

Context (Production / use)
'Record for Z 6341 added "According to D. R. Simmons of the Auckland Museum (1 6 1978), it is part of a ridge pole from the entrance and was made with steel tools. Simmons also suggests that it comes from Wanganui, c.1860."

Event Date 1/6/1978
Author: rachel hand

Context (Amendments / updates)
David Simmons' views on the provenance and dating of Maori artefacts are no longer considered reliable in New Zealand.
Event Date 2001
Author: rachel hand

Context (References)
Gerrard Albert and Che Wilson (June 2006) Whanganui Taonga Iwi Report. University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology (CUMAA) Field Work: March-May 2006.
Event Date 6/2006
Author: rachel hand

Context (Amendments / updates)
Tāhuhu from Huriwhenua, Rānana. In its current display position, the top figure is male and the bottom figure is female. This appears to provide a Ranginui and Papatuānuku scenario with the descendants of the gods between both figures legs
Key Whanganui carving features are as follows:
-Pākati (also known as riporipo) pattern on legs
-Mouth is flat with shallow relief
-Un-uniform, spaghetti style haehae is common throughout both figure
-Figure between legs with hand in mouth in the ‘Whanganui kaiponu’ form
It is interesting to note that rauru pattern on forehead are asymmetrical rather than the common symmetrical style. The rauponga pattern on chest is normally attributed to East Coast style however in this case it is carved in the Whanganui style'.

Quoted from Albert and Wilson, June 2006:22





Event Date 6/2006
Author: maa

Context (Amendments / updates)
It appears that this object was originally accessioned first as E 1901.108 and then as E 1902.19 (both of which refer to a ridge pole, also from the meeting house at Rahana);

Event Date 2/9/2016
Author: Rachel Hand

Context (References)
Photographed as part of the Art UK Sculpture project, August - September 2019. The project aims to create a free-to-access online photographic showcase of publicly owned sculpture. The three-year project focuses on sculpture dating from the last 1,000 years, held in public collections and outdoor locations across the UK



Event Date 4/6/2020
Author: rachel hand

Description (Physical description)
Tāhuhu. Large, flat beam or ridge pole from the Huriwhenua (meeting house) Whare Rūnanga of Keepa Te Rangihiwinui (Major Kemp). Carved with Ranginui and Papatuānuku scenario with the descendants of the gods between both figures legs
Event Date 26/10/2022
Author: rachel hand

Context (Amendments / updates)
The carving of five fingers and toes with joints and fingernails on the lower figure (as displayed) is unusual as Maori carving typically incorporates three fingers. This may be an early example of a more naturalistic style of carving which carvers such as Tene Waitere are more well known for.
From comments by Ruakiri (Ngāti Tarāwhai, Nga Kohinga o Hinemihi) and Uenuku Fairhall during a visit 17 May 2024
Event Date 17/5/2024
Author: rachel hand