Carved Teko Teko - Tutanekai 37cm by Wood Masters

 
Tutanekai 
Carved in New Zealand from hardwood (Tulipwood) 
37cm x 9cm x 9cm 

This whakairo represents Tutanekai from Maori legend.  For those familiar with the Maori love song - Pokarekare Ana - it tells the beautiful story of Hinemoa and Tutanekai. 

This piece would make a wonderful koha (gift) for your loved one.  

Stock photo.  Wood grain may vary between pieces. 

About Teko Teko:

Tekoteko is the term used for a carved human form which can be either freestanding, attached to the gable of a whare (house) or carved into the central poles of the great meeting houses. Tekoteko are often carved in a defiant stance with a protruding tongue, and holding a mere or taiaha, to ward off intruders. Tekoteko often have eyes made of paua shell and can range in size from a few inches to the full height of a building.  


About The Legend:

Tūtānekai lived on Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua. Although of high rank, he was an illegitimate child. He was conceived when Tūwharetoa, a chief from Kawerau, visited the island. His mother Rangiuru was forgiven by her husband, Whakaue, who reared the boy as his own. Tūtānekai grew into a handsome young man, a fine dancer and athlete, which aroused the jealousies of his three elder half-brothers. All four had fallen in love with the beautiful Hinemoa of Ōwhata, on the lake’s eastern shore. However, it was Tūtānekai’s seductive flute-playing that won Hinemoa’s heart.