Riki Manuel: Poupou Sculpture

Situated in Victoria Square beside a cabbage tree is a six metre poupou. The carving was created by the master carver Riki Manuel.

The poupou is carved out of a totara log one metre in diameter, and was given by a West Coast farmer. Totara is a timber that is prized for carving.

The main theme of the poupou is Raki and Papa, the Maori story of the 'beginnings', the characters of the legend are represented in the carving. The poupou represents all inhabitants of the Christchurch region, their ancestry and their resources.

The location of the poupou also relates to the old pa site Puari, their food resources, and the collection and conservation of these resources.