Pātua (bark basket)

This is a pātua (bark basket) made from the bark of the tōtara tree (Podocarpus totara). Used as presentation vessels for food, pātua weremade by steaming large pieces of tōtara bark to make them pliable, then crafting theminto this basket form. Sometimes pātua were adorned with the feathers of birds to be served in the basket. This particular pātua was collected by Reverend Taylor and features hawk feathers on the handles.