Maori War Canoe Prow

The tauihu is the carved prow of a waka taua, the Māori war canoe of New Zealand, produced in the 18th and 19th centuries. Rendered in swirling paatuki motifs and stylised manaia faces, these prow figures embodied the canoe's spiritual force and the ancestral warriors' mana. Several were transferred or traded to European collectors in the 19th century; the tauihu at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris is now one of the most important displays of Māori material culture in Europe.

Exhibition Venue

Musée du quai Branly

7th arrondissement of Paris, France

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