Intricate Māori carving found washed up in Bay of Islands, Northland

By Peter de Graaf of RNZ

Mystery surrounds a large, ornate Māori carving found washed up on a Northland beach.

Arana Rewha, who recovered the carving from Omakiwi Cove, in the Bay of Islands, wants to reunite it with its rightful owner - but despite his efforts, he has so far been unable to find out where it came from.

He was alerted to the carving on Friday, when it was spotted by a caretaker at Kokinga Point.

Rewha, a kaitiaki (guardian) for the hapū Ngāti Kuta, said it was a carving of a face in the Ngāpuhi style, about 600mm high and 300mm wide.

It was likely carved from tōtara and was almost 100mm thick, so it was “a really heavy piece”.

“It looks like it’s been attached to something like a whakaruruhau (shelter) or some kind of building. It’s definitely been bolted to something in the past. It’s a bit of a mystery to us.

“If you were to lose something like that, you’re definitely miss it,” he said.

The carving is described as large and heavy, and would be precious to those who have lost it, Rewha said. Photo / Arana Rewha

After performing a karakia, Rewha took the carving to a safe place and started trying to track down the owner.

Despite sharing photos on social media throughout Northland, and in carving groups up and down the country, so far no one had been able to shed light on the carving’s origin.

Rewha said the shape of the head and the intricate pākati patterns identified it as Ngāpuhi, so it had not come far.

A lack of marine growth showed it had not been in the water long, nor had it been long on rocks or the beach, because the surface showed little abrasion.

Rewha said the kaitiaki who found it was wary of picking it up in case it had come from a nearby urupā (cemetery), but none of the locals had reported it missing.

It had clearly been bolted to something before beginning its maritime journey.

Rewha, who had done some carving in the past, said he was anxious to return it to its rightful place.

“I’m stressing to find out where it comes from, because it’s a nice piece. It’s been very well designed and whoever carved it has a really intricate, distinctive style,” he said.

In November last year, a carved pou washed up at Taylor’s Bay, on the Māhia Peninsula in northern Hawke’s Bay.

It was identified as having been swept away from Tāngoio Marae, near Napier, during the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle floods in February 2023.

During its 650 days at sea it had travelled almost 100km up the coast.

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