Take a look at the Whanganui carvings next time you visit Whanganui Regional Museum. Photo / Bevan Conley
It is the eyes that I notice first. Round, bulbous and not unlike the eyes of a ruru or a hei tiki.
If you listen carefully, you can almost hear those eyes calling out.
Whanganui, we are Whanganui.
Nau mai, haere mai, māke mai.
Come closer, come with me.
Each iwi has its own distinct carving style that reflects the people it represents and the unique natural environment which that particular iwi calls home. A tekoteko (gable) sits at the apex of a wharepuni (meeting house). The tekoteko often represents an important ancestor from that tribal area. The big round eyes are a Whanganui feature as is the square-shaped head.
Often you will see the carvings in Whanganui are holding on to their tongues, or the hand rests gently in its mouth. This is known as Whanganui kaiponu. We hold and protect our stories and our secrets. We are careful about what is and isn’t shared with outsiders. Knowledge is food for the soul.
Carvings from other iwi may only have three fingers, but in Whanganui our carved hands look life-like and are fully formed with eight fingers and two thumbs.
The feet and toes are often missing on purpose. It is assumed that the feet are embedded within Te Awa Tupua, the Whanganui River, that grounds and nourishes us. We are a river people.
The legs of our carvings are very interesting. Knees are slightly bent, bowed and balanced. This is how you stand in a waka, when poling up the Awa. This position allows you to maintain your balance and navigate safely.
Years ago, I had a boyfriend who was an academic from Waikato. He was writing a paper about why the carvings from his marae had bent legs. He was certain that they had gout because they over-indulged in seafood. I said “You’ve got the gout! Your ancestors, like mine, are a river people.” Whanganui and Waikato iwi are forever linked. Our rivers flow from Tongariro maunga.
The surface patterning on our carvings indicates that we, as an iwi, were well-resourced. We were rich in natural resources, with food from the moana (ocean), the ngahere (forest), the Awa (river) and māra (gardens). When a people are no longer in fear of starving, when they have truly settled, and where food and shelter are plentiful, it is only then that our artists can practice and refine their artistic skills and qualities.
A poupou featured here comes from the church at Koriniti, 47km upriver from the city of Whanganui. It is carved from tōtara. His hands are joined and his tongue is hooked to the left. He has grooved kneecaps (like fingers), with rauru spirals and a whakarare design over the entire figure. He appears to be deep in prayer.
Another poupou featured here comes from Huriwhenua, once a whare rūnanga, that stood further upstream from Koriniti, at Rānana. This is the home of Ngāti Ruaka. It depicts Rere-o-maki, holding her son, Taitoko Te Rangihiwinui, also known as Major Kemp. Below is Mahuera Paki Tanguru-o-te-rangi, the father of Te Rangihiwinui. You will note the huge eyes, five fingers and carving designs that are unique to our Whanganui carving style.
The next time you visit a Whanganui marae, and if their wharepuni is graced with carvings, see if you can identify some of the carving features I have shared in this article. If you visit the Whanganui Regional Museum, have a look at our Whanganui carvings. Imagine the work involved in fashioning them, and how glorious they would have looked, adorning the wharepuni for which they were made. Who knows? One day they may again grace our wharepuni that stand along the banks of the Awa.
* Lisa Reweti is the programmes presenter at Whanganui Regional Museum.
