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Maori doorway
Kuwaha Pataka
This intricately carved kuwaha pataka (storehouse doorway) comes from the North Island of New Zealand. It was carved by a tohunga whakairo (master carver) in the 19th century and would have been commissioned by a powerful Maori chief. The central figure represents an important tribal tupuna (ancestor) and the overall design is a demonstration of the wealth of the tribe. It was donated to Manchester Museum by Lady Thompson in 1950.
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