Carved Wheku Mask 12.5cm by Derek Drewry whale tail If the enemy could be

If the enemy could be grasped by the hair then the patu would be driven up under the ribs or jaw

Black maire is hard (probably New Zealand’s hardest wood) heavy and strong

This piece is part of the Manu series

cats eye shell

Nguru are semi enclosed flutes that have wenewene (finger holes)

Carved Wheku Mask 12.5cm by Derek Drewry whale tail If the enemy could beHandcarved by Derek Drewry Ngati Te Rangi Iwi NZ Totara wood 9cm x 12. 5cm x 3cm The wheku (gable mask) sits below the tekoteko (standing figure) on the top of a whare nui (meeting house). The mask can be related to an important ancestor of the house or be symbolic of a story relating to the origins of the carving. A wheku in your home can be seen as a guardian role.