Hand Carved Wheku Mask 20.5cm by Thomas Hansen new zealand made 33cm x 47cm x 5cm

33cm x 47cm x 5cm (plus hanging leaf on the base)

with tiny vestigial wings and no tail

It is easily recognized by its long tail which opens to a fan

All mainland North Island populations persist only with sustained control of key pest mammals (ship rats and brushtail possums)

NZ Totara wood with NZ paua eyes

Hand Carved Wheku Mask 20.5cm by Thomas Hansen new zealand made 33cm x 47cm x 5cmHandcarved in New Zealand by Thomas Hansen NZ Swamp Kauri 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, with tongue thrust out to challenge whoever enters a room or dwelling. 13cm x 20. 5cm x 5cm About NZ Kauri