The poutokomanawa (post figure) served to welcome guests to a Maori communal house, and to protect its sacred essence. The Maori conceived of their houses as the physical embodiment of an ancestral spirit, with the ridge pole representing the backbone, and the side supports the ribs. Poutokomanawa were found at the bottom of the pole which supported the main beam, in the center of the house. They were portraits of the ancestor whose spiritual power infused the building. Although not physically accurate, the individual was recognizable by the unique tattoo pattern carved on its face.

This poutokomanawa was carved by a member of the Ngati Kahungunu (Tribe of Kahungunu) of the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand. The figure's proportions represent Maori beliefs about the different types of energy resting in the human body. The head was the center of personal power, so it was scaled larger than life, and special attention was paid to the decorative detail. The large hands resting on the stomach emphasize the life force, the link between spirits and humans, which is seated in the abdomen. The powerful limbs further demonstrate the figure's spiritual strength.