House Panel

People of Māori culture traditionally decorated their communal houses with intricately carved panels of ancestral figures like this one. High-quality carvings would bring prestige to the community and honor to the spirits memorialized. In the Māori belief system, important ancestors protect and assist their descendants. In this object, one can see the spirits’ vitality and strength. They stand upright, facing outwards towards the viewer with their tongues extended, a sign of potency. Shell inlay set in the eyes gives the figures further energy and life.