Extraordinary Māori Artifacts Come to Sale With Bonhams

A poupou is a carved wooden panel designed for the porch of a Māori meeting house. Embellished with carvings of spiritual lineage, each poupou depicts tales of migration of the carver’s ancestors to New Zealand. The upcoming auction, presented by Bonhams, will feature extraordinary Māori artifacts, including one such striking house panel. It was created for a meeting house commissioned by Chief Karaitiana Takamonana of Hawke’s Bay in 1870. Owing to his financial misfortune, the house was never completed. However, Augustus Hamilton, a trader of Māori objects, purchased the house in 1889 on behalf of Dr. Thomas Morland Hocken.

Other rare lots belonging to the indigenous Polynesian peoples include a carved war canoe tauihu. Most likely from the Bay of Plenty, the prow portrays a guiding figure at the front, signifying an ancestral commander. Behind is a median panel with two openwork double spirals. The traverse washboard portrays a figure directing the stern. A noteworthy wooden torso with hints of green paint also leads the listings. It most probably served as a stockade image crafted on the highest post within the defensive palisade to boost the morale of the community. Visit Bonhams to view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming African and Oceanic Art sale.