8 Apr 2015

Sculpture returns to Awataha

8:01 pm on 8 April 2015

The family of an Auckland kaumatua, who posed for a life-sized sculpture, has thanked the council for helping to have the bronze casting gifted to their marae.

Lyndon Smith made the piece known as Te Wero for ASB bank nearly five decades ago.

Te Wero

Te Wero Photo: Auckland Council

The sculpture was moved to Aotea Square before the area was re-developed in the late 1960s.

It was modelled on the late Arnold Manaaki Wilson, an artist who also sculpted and carved.

His son, Anthony Wilson, said his father's crouching pose for the piece mirrored that of the Maori warrior from the old New Zealand shilling, who is crouching down holding a taiaha or spear.

Mr Wilson said the gifting of the sculpture to Awataha marae is like his father returning home, something he said was ''pretty cool''.

Mr Wilson said a pre-dawn ceremony unveiling the sculpture will be held a Awataha marae on 14 April.