MAORI RELIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 36, 13 February 1928, Page 8

MAORI RELIC.

ELABORATELY-CARVED

FIGURES.

FOUND NEAR TE PUKE

MAY BE A PA GATEWAY.

On Thursday afternoon, writes our Te Puke correspondent, some boys playing on the edge of the Ohineanganga Stream, near the High School, discovered a piece of wood sticking out of the swamp. Curiosity as to its size resulted in their unearthing from the pld creek bank an interesting itaori relic. The boys took the carving home to the owner* of the pro<perty, Mrs. W. G. Gilmore.

Inspection shows that the carving was made from red totara. It is about 4ft (Sin long and Ift Gin high. It is in a good state of preservation, and the block is intact, except for a small corner that had been exposed to the weather as the swamp dried.

The design consists of an elaborately carved human figure in the middle, and on either side two smaller figures with lizard-like bodies. In same cases the three-fingered hand held the body, in other cases the limbs are spiral scrolls. The smaller figures arc not exactly alike. Those nearer the central . figure each have a tongue protruding. The other two each have three .teeth instead oif tongues. On the lower part of the body of the central figure is a human face in size and appearance like the chief face.

The back of the block is roughly carved, and there is a base about eighteen inches long and three inches thick. In this base are two square holes about two inches wide to take tlie tops of uprights. The design finishes at the edges with a reptile, head downward, and scrolls so" that the shape is reminiscent of the common Egyptian winged vulture.

The figures may be symbolical, and. if so, some idea of the history of the work may be obtained on examination by experts. The Pakehas came to this district about 45 to 50 years age. but no Maoris were then, or have since been, living near this part of the swamp. It is quite common to conrie across paddles and wooden utensils in the local swamps, but specimens of early carving are "rarely found.

Tradition says that the Maori often buried valuable carvings when expecting attacks in overwhelming numbers, and M/rs. Gilmore's discovery mav be an ornamental top to« a gateway which was concealed by some old residents and never recovered by them.

In the early days the Ohineangaanga was probably a bush-clad stream fotir or five chains wide, and may have been used by the Maoris when ifrom one stronghold to another on'the 'cliffs above the stream.