Waka Huia (Feather Box)

New Zealand's former Governor-General Sir Jeremiah Mateparae presented this gift to then-President Tony Tan Keng Yam during his six-day State Visit to New Zealand from October 26 to 31, 2015.

^{Dimensions: 39 × 14 × 8 cm}

This gift is a waka huia wooden box. In Māori, a waka refers to a container or vessel. Such boxes are intricately carved with traditional motifs, including tiki figures associated with protection and good fortune, and were used to store precious items – most notably the rare and prized feathers of the huia bird, an extinct native wattlebird – worn in the hair by Māori Chiefs and people of high status.

A waka huia was also a treasured possession of a chief or family group, passed through some generations. Through inheritance, the holder was believed to inherit the mana (prestige) of their ancestors.