Lid of a Maori feather or treasure box, engraved on the outer surface only. The lid is divided into eight square zones by scrollwork, infilled with alternating bands of lozenges. These eight zones alternate in diagonal orientation to converge on the central point of the lid. On the underside, there is a rectangular knob which sits into a hole in the base, and at the other end both lid and base are pierced through. This would have allowed the lid of the box to swing open.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
