Waka huia

[1] Waka huia and papa hou were designed to be suspended from the low hanging ceiling of Māori whare (houses)[2] where their beautifully carved and decorated undersides could be appreciated.

As taonga (treasures), waka huia and papa hou were often gifted between hapū (sub-tribes), whānau (families), and individuals to acknowledge relationships, friendships, and other significant social events.

When American Captain Charles Wilkes visited New Zealand in 1845, he noted that whaka huia and papa hou had been mostly replaced by Western style lockable seaman's chests.

[1] By this time, waka huia had begun to be carved with legs, so that the boxes could be placed on Western-style tables or mantelpieces instead of the traditional method of being suspended from the ceiling.

[1] Approximately 420 waka huia and papa hou are found in museum collections globally, as well as 20 examples of powaka whakairo.