This epa (house post) was discovered in Waitara, Taranaki, in 1919. The figure at the top is a marakihau, sometimes described as a sea taniwha . However, some view it as an ancestor with the bulbous head, three fingers, and serpentine body that reflects the Māori view that humans had amphibious origins.
Using this item
Puke Ariki - Taranaki Museum & Library
Reference:
A77.330
Carving by Te Tuiti-Moeroa
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