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Story: Waka – canoes

Waka taua carvings

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Waka taua carvings

Waka taua (war canoes) had elaborately carved tauihu (bow figureheads). This one was carved by Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke, the paramount Te Āti Awa chief in the 1800s, and gifted to the Duke of Edinburgh during his New Zealand visit in 1869. Because carvings were so highly valued, carvers were often rangatira (chiefs).

Using this item

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira

by Wiremu Kīngi Te Rangitāke

Permission of the Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, Waka – canoes – Waka taua, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/object/6003/waka-taua-carvings (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr, published 2 March 2009.