Feather box (waka huia) in the style of Northern carving. As the box was suspended from the roof, the bottom (shown here) was the most ornate. This specimen is stone tool work. Its place of origin is unknown. It come to the Dominion Museum from the Oldman Collection. The long rolling curiinear surface decoration, the images with demand heads, sinuous bodies and webbed feet, are all typical of the Northern style. (Photograph: Dr. T. Barrow.) WAKA HUIA OR PAPAHOU by W. J. PHILLIPPS The waka huia or papahou was the treasure box of a chief or of a family group. It may be more rightly termed papahou, for it held many small treasured items of adornment other than huia tail feathers. Combs for the hair, tiki, greenstone and bone ornaments, valued feathers and other small treasures were all retained in the papahou under a very special tapu, the box being suspended from a rafter of a chief's sleeping hut, or kept in one of those small whatu rangi upheld by a single pole of considerable length. Many of the curious and remarkable pendants held in our Museums once graced a welcarved waka huia or papahou. There were several different forms of waka huia or papahou, all more or less fully ornamented with superficial carving. Examples of some of the man groups are figured. A highly ornamental specimen has a raised carved lid with human or manaia figures (above). The lower surface is covered with running scrolls and spirals which have two plain ridges partially interlocking at intervals. The second figure illustrates