Whakairo Pouwhenua Totem - Brown

Whakairo Pouwhenua Totem - Brown.

"Whakairo Pouwhenua Totem" refers to a Māori carved post (called a pouwhenua or pou), which is sometimes described as being "like a totem pole" due to its similar function as a large, carved pillar that tells stories or marks territory.

The term "totem" is a non-Māori word used as a comparison for a Western audience. 

Meanings of the terms:

Whakairo refers to the traditional Māori art of carving in wood, bone, or stone.

Pouwhenua (or simply pou) refers to a carved wooden post or pillar.

Historically, it was also the name for a large, heavy wooden fighting staff.

Totem is a term from North American Indigenous cultures for a monumental carving, which serves a similar function of telling stories, representing ancestors, or marking significant places. 

Size 8.5 H x 3 W x 2.5cm D.