Late 19th Century Ngati Tarawhai Kumete Figure with Wheku

A good late 19th century figure supported kumete (Ngati…
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A good late 19th century figure supported kumete (Ngati tarawhai), a well carved lidded figure supported kumete. The bowl is flanked by two crouching wheku figures carved in high relief. The surface is ornately carved in rauponga spirals with triple haehae and pakati (dog notching), with paua embellishment. Mounted on an ebonised wood plinth. These figure-supported bowls were developed by the Ngati tarawhai carvers of the late 19th century. They are a development of the traditional carved wakahuia and kumete, and represent An important and creative response to the increased demand for Maori carvings from Europeans during the second half of the 19th century. The driver of much of this cross-cultural exchange was the burgeoning tourism industry in and around Rotorua, with the key attraction prior to their destruction in 1886 being the pink and white terraces, height 32 cm, L 38 cm (including plinth)

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