Story: Papatūānuku – the land

Ipu whenua

Ipu whenua

Māori traditionally bury the placenta of a newborn baby in a special place. This was often done in vessels called ipu whenua, which were originally made from gourds. This replica ipu whenua was carved by Jacob Heberley of Te Āti Awa from tōtara wood.

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How to cite this page:

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 'Papatūānuku – the land - Whenua – the placenta', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/object/11435/ipu-whenua (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 24 Sep 2007