This Maori Temple facade is one of several in the musuem.
Many people do not realize that most of the elaborate Maori carvings on temples and meeting houses are not religious. They are instead secular. Rather than idols, the elaborate carvings represent renowned ancestors of the tribe and activities of the tribe. Meanwhile, many of the other carving are purely ornamental with no specific meaning.
If you compare this temple to http://www.pbase.com/britestar/image/113481982, you will see that the carvings are entirely different.
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