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This beautifully carved taurapa (sternpost) is part of the renowned waka (canoe), Te Toki a Tapiri. In one tradition, spiders were said to have carved the stern and prow of the first waka. That is why the web-like spiral form (known as mata kupenga) features so prominently on the stern and prow of many canoes.
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Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira
Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.