Window Lintel

Carved wooden board. From Maori house: part of a window or door frame. The carving shows the figure of a human being at the right, conventionalized in characteristic Maori style. The head is kept vertical in spite of the horizontal posture of the body. One three-fingered hand rests upon the middle of the body; two fingers of the other hand are placed at the corner of the mouth; the third finger is reduced to a mere knob. The tongue protrudes from the other corner of the mouth. The shoulders and hips are marked by spirals. This is a feature of the tattooing on which is also based the elaborate carving of the face. The legs are represented only by their extremities, juxtaposed to the hip spirals. At the left is a bird-headed monster (manaia). The folded legs with their hip spirals, one arm with a shoulder spiral and the characteristic three-fingered hand appear clearly. In Ngati Porou style. Made with steel tools, c. 1880.