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Lot Essay
Physical contact with a Maori chief was highly tapu (sacred, forbidden). This is also true for all the ornaments and objects that have been touched by him and especially if they were touched by his head. This part of the body is considered to contain the mana, or spiritual force, of human beings. Therefore, chiefs' worn adornments such as feathers, hei tiki, combs and ear pendants were kept in a wooden box delicately engraved and carved called wakahuia (literally, feather container). These receptacles were hung in the chief's house, out of reach of children. The way the boxes were hung is the reason why wahahuia had as much decoration on the underside as on the top lid. The treasures contained by these boxes were highly tapu and were part of the family patrimony through generations.
Carved in the classical canoe-shaped form, the Beyeler wakahuia distinguish itself by its scale and its exquisite sculptures in high relief representing two tiki figures with protruding heads. Both figures are holding their bent knees with their four digit hands in an overall crouched position recalling the hei tiki pendant form. All the tension of the figures is concentrated in their head: the artist highlighted the eyes with haliotis shell inlays and represented a projected tongue,a gesture to provoke and challenge enemies.
Cf. Hamilton (1977, pl.LXII, fig.1) for a close related box from the Liverpool Museum and Starzecka (2010, fig.220) for another box, about the same scale, collected in Poverty Bay at the beginning of the 1850', now at the British Museum, London (inv.1854.12-29.85).
Carved in the classical canoe-shaped form, the Beyeler wakahuia distinguish itself by its scale and its exquisite sculptures in high relief representing two tiki figures with protruding heads. Both figures are holding their bent knees with their four digit hands in an overall crouched position recalling the hei tiki pendant form. All the tension of the figures is concentrated in their head: the artist highlighted the eyes with haliotis shell inlays and represented a projected tongue,a gesture to provoke and challenge enemies.
Cf. Hamilton (1977, pl.LXII, fig.1) for a close related box from the Liverpool Museum and Starzecka (2010, fig.220) for another box, about the same scale, collected in Poverty Bay at the beginning of the 1850', now at the British Museum, London (inv.1854.12-29.85).