Title

War Canoe Sternpost (taurapa)

Description

When Maori artists made this object they had to adhere to a standard composition. This object has two "manaia" the first one is a beaked figure representing a guardian spirit and the other is directly below the first "manaia." When canoes were not in use this object would be removed and stored.

Semester

Spring 2026

Subject

Indigenous Art

Saint Louis Art Museum

Morton D. May

Maori

possibly early to mid 19th century

Temporal Coverage

Possibly early to mid 19th century

Spatial Coverage

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Language

The information about the object is in English

Medium

The material of this object is wood

Source

Saint Louis Art Museum

https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/17549/

Is Part Of

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Morton D. May

Identifier

1531:1983

Provenance

1929 - 1977
James Thomas Hooper (1897-1971), England, acquired in Arbroath, Scotland; Estate of James Thomas Hooper

1977 - 1983
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, USA, purchased at auction of “Hawaiian and Maori Art from the James Hooper Collection,” Christie, Manson and Woods, London, June 21, 1977, lot no. 121

1983
Saint Louis Art Museum, bequest of Morton D. May

Explanation of Omeka Map Location

This item originated in New Zealand (Aotearoa)