The Sir Cyril Newall New Zealand Collection

LOT 01

This Te Arawa tokotoko features a stacked figure composition, where a series of carved ancestral figures are vertically linked down the shaft, symbolising whakapapa (genealogical descent). Each figure is deeply incised with traditional pākati (notched chevrons) and haehae (parallel grooves), techniques closely associated with the school of Anaha Te Rahui, one of Te Arawa’s most renowned carvers. The figures’ eyes are inlaid with pāua shell and upper handle features a stylised head, blending naturalism and abstraction, a hallmark of Te Arawa ceremonial carving. 89cm long.