This huge hākari stage was built to hold food for a massive feast in the Bay of Islands in 1849. While it is unclear whether these stages were designed before or after European arrival, they illustrate the importance attached to displays of wealth. An iwi (tribe) or hapū (sub-tribe) holding a feast displayed the food to emphasise its abundance – effectively a display of mana.
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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference:
B-030-007
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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