{"product_id":"carved-wooden-maori-poupou-guardian-post","title":"Carved Wooden Māori Poupou Guardian Post","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis 46-inch carved post is a Māori piece from Aotearoa, New Zealand, worked from a single dense log with a deep convex face and a hollowed reverse, consistent with an architectural Poupou panel or a house-post or canoe-prow section rather than a flat door or wall relief. The upper face is carved in the recognizable Māori idiom: spiraling koru brows over high-relief almond eyes, flared nostrils, and an open mouth with the protruding tongue associated with the haka. The face is framed by notched serrated edges, and below it sits a second, smaller stylized ancestor or guardian figure carved in the same curvilinear scrollwork. The wood carries a golden-honey to warm cedar patina with visible adze chisel marks throughout. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 19 inches wide, 7 inches deep, and 46 inches tall, this reads as a freestanding sculptural guardian rather than a door, well suited as a pillar accent, an entry threshold piece, or a singular carved object on a console or plinth where its full dimensional carving can be appreciated from more than one angle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*Origin: Māori tradition, Aotearoa,  Polynesia\u003cbr\u003e*Era: Vintage, Early to Mid 20th Century \u003cbr\u003e*Material: Hand-carved solid hardwood (Totara or Kauri)\u003cbr\u003e*Finish: Golden-honey to warm cedar patina, visible adze chisel marks\u003cbr\u003e*Dimensions: 19\"W x 7\"D x 46\"H\u003cbr\u003e*Condition: Genuine age-consistent wear, structurally stable, single-log carving intact\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA vintage Māori carved wood post from Aotearoa, New Zealand, deep convex form with a spiral-browed guardian face and a lower ancestor figure, carved from a single log with visible adze marks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQ: What does the carved face on a piece like this typically represent in Māori carving tradition?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA: \u003c\/strong\u003eThe wide eyes, spiral brows, and protruding tongue are drawn from a visual vocabulary used across Māori whakairo, carved wood art, to depict ancestors and guardian figures with authority and presence, the open-mouth tongue gesture in particular echoes the haka. On architectural elements like posts and panels, these carved guardians were traditionally understood to watch over and protect a space. We describe the form and technique here rather than assign it a specific named ancestor or ceremonial role, since that context isn't something we can confirm from the object alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(Requires White Glove Delivery)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e • **Please bear in mind that colors of products shown may vary slightly from their original color due to monitor display settings or photography studio.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50549011906797,"sku":"IMG_6443","price":4495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0288\/5256\/files\/6443.jpg?v=1787856680","url":"https:\/\/de-cor.com\/products\/carved-wooden-maori-poupou-guardian-post","provider":"DE-COR | Globally Inspired","version":"1.0","type":"link"}