From the lower Eastern Polynesian group of New Zealand, the Maori peoples of the Oceanic triangle of Hawaii, Easter Island and from here, a rare and large antique example of their 'public' art, a pierced carved wood relief board that comes from one of their community religious houses. An antique one and a modern one are pictured here, the one now offered here is quite old and easily of the 19th century. The carving seems to be of both knife and stone, the highly expressive and fully carved board is of rather grand size 42.75" height, 24" wide. Some parts of its original rattan type woven hanger remain. The old and grand one below is in a New Zealand Museum, Auckland, if it were available its estimate would hold many 0's. The painted one in-place is a vintage or rather modern example and tribally owned. In search, modern and some called 'vintage' pieces are not uncommon or rare. It is said that only about 1 in a half million Maori free standing carvings are tribal and truly old,..this one is. Their are some great examples in world museums, a very few in the hands of a couple of tribal dealers and, the occasional piece at 'big' tribal auctions within any year, .. so, rare, as here, just cannot be overstated. Fine original and untouched condition.