Story: Whakairo – Māori carving

Te Kaha pātaka carvings

Te Kaha pātaka carvings

This incomplete pātaka (food storehouse), built around 1750, once stood at Maraenui in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, and was later dismantled and hidden in caves near Te Kaha. It is perhaps the finest surviving example of the Te Whānau-ā-Apanui carving style, which resembles the style of Te Arawa rather than that of the neighbouring Ngāti Porou people. This pātaka was a central feature of the 1984 Te Māori international exhibition of Māori art.

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How to cite this page:

Brett Graham, 'Whakairo – Māori carving - Carving, 1500 to 1800', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/object/43066/te-kaha-pataka-carvings (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Brett Graham, published 22 Oct 2014