19th Century Waka Huia Treasure Box with Wheku Carvings
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A fine early 19th century waka huia (treasure box), classical ovoid elongated orthodox form. Each end carved with projecting wheku heads in high relief and pierced for suspension. The body of the box carved with longitudinal lines of rauponga with pakati notching and interweaving rauru spirals. The box lid with lugs to the underside to enable it to fit securely, carved with conforming decoration to the main body of the box. Exhibiting a beautiful rich dark-brown patina. Small loss to the end section of the lid. Length 49 cm.
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- Oviform /ovoid - The outline loosely resembling the shape of an egg.
- Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.
As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.
Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.
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