Intricately Carved Maori Tokotoko with Tiki and Wheku Figures

A finely carved tokotoko, Maori orator's stick, with curved handle, intricately carved throughout the shaft with haehae (parallel grooves) and pakati notches (dog tooth pattern). Upper part carved with tiki figure displaying flared nostrils and heart-shaped mouth, poking its tongue out, face adorned with moko. The hands rest on its stomach forming the face of another ancestral figure, the superimposition creating a destabilising visual effect while the formal complexity conveys the potency of the deified ancestors. Wheku carved two-third down the stick. Rich dark brown patina. Paua inlaid eyes absent. The tokotoko is traditionally a symbol of authority for the speaker holding it, as a demonstration of their lineage and legitimacy, wielded with precision to emphasise pertinent points. Pending Y registration, length 70 cm