Waka taua (war canoes) had elaborately carved tauihu (bow figureheads). This one was carved by Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke, the paramount Te Āti Awa chief in the 1800s, and gifted to the Duke of Edinburgh during his New Zealand visit in 1869. Because carvings were so highly valued, carvers were often rangatira (chiefs).
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Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira
Carving by Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke
Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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