Maori

I was looking through an office cupboard today, prior to cleaning it out for my successor, and came across this wooden mask. It was given to me ten years ago when, during a holiday in New Zealand, I gave a talk to some professional counterparts.

The mask was made especially, carved out of one of the country's amazing native woods. The eyes are shell and the whole was varnished. It was still sticky when it was given to me, I understand deliberately, to demonstrate the bespoke nature of the gift. The mask is larger than life size, about 30 cm long.