Carved Teko Teko, c. 1840. Totara wood with traces of kokowai (red ochre). 45 cm height.
Lot 018 · Decorative Arts
Carved Teko Teko
Unknown, Māori (Ngāti Porou tradition)
Year
c. 1840
Medium
Totara wood with traces of kokowai (red ochre)
Dimensions
45 cm height
Estimate
On request
A teko teko of exceptional quality and presence. The figure is carved in the round, the face displaying the characteristic features of the Ngāti Porou tradition — the protruding tongue (haka), the large eyes with pāua shell inlay (one shell surviving), and the complex surface decoration of koru and pakura patterns that cover the body. The wood retains traces of kokowai — the red ochre pigment used to consecrate sacred objects — in the deeper channels of the carving. This is a work of profound cultural significance and considerable rarity.
Artist
Unknown, Māori (Ngāti Porou tradition)
The teko teko — the carved figure that surmounts the apex of a Māori meeting house — is one of the most significant forms in the Māori carving tradition. It represents an ancestor of the iwi and serves as a guardian of the house and its occupants. The carving tradition of Ngāti Porou, the iwi of the East Coast of the North Island, is distinguished by its technical refinement and the psychological intensity of its figures. The present teko teko, carved from totara — the preferred timber for sacred objects — is a work of considerable age and quality.