This carving is a uniquely tall tewhatewha, a nod to the long-tailed cuckoo - Koekoeā, a migratory bird, that spends it's summers here in Aotearoa.
Māori believed that the arrival of long-tailed cuckoos indicated that it was time to plant sweet potato or kumara, and that their departure meant it was time to harvest them
Tewhatewha: axe-shaped weapon with a long handle, pointed end, often adorned with feathers below the blade; used for signaling and battle.
