This wharepuni (sleeping house), in a Northland community, was painted by Augustus Earle in 1827. Although so low to the ground that the door must be entered on all fours, the building has been ornamented with a tekoteko (carved figure) above the entrance and an elaborate door frame, indicating that the occupants are of chiefly status.
Using this item
National Library of Australia, Rex Nan Kivell Collection
Reference:
NK12/78
Artwork by Augustus Earle
Permission of the National Library of Australia must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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