|Maori Patu
 

Picked up this patu from epray over the weekend.
vendor says it a tourist one about 20 years old.

32 cm, long, other side is a mirror image, no hokey 'New Zealand' carved in it. thank god.

I WOULD AGREE WITH YOUR ASSESMENT OF THE CLUB EXCEPT IT MAY BE A BIT OLDER AND WOULD BE OF THE MAORI WAHIKA FORM. THE MAORI HAVE BEEN MAKING THESE FOR SALE FOR A LONG TIME AND SOME CARVERS EVEN SIGN THEIR WORK WHICH IF PRESENT IT HELPS TO PUT AN AGE AND PLACE WHERE IT WAS CARVED. I WATCHED THE CARVERS WORK AT ROTORURA ON THE NORTH ISLAND IN 1978 AND THEY WERE QUITE SKILLED BUT TURNED OUT MORE OF THE EASIER ITEMS FAR BELOW WHAT THEY WERE CAPABLE OF CARVING TO MEET THE DEMAND. THIS CLUB WOULD FALL INTO THE TOP OF THIS CATEGORY OF WORK. THE INLAYED SHELL IN 2 PLACES IS A INDICATION OF A BETTER GRADE TOURIST GRADE CLUB OF THE TIME. MAORI USUALLY DON'T CARVE NEW ZEALAND ON THEIR WORK BUT OFTEN THERE IS A STICKER WITH THAT INFORMATION WHEN THE ITEMS ARE SOLD.
NOT OLD BUT A GOOD MAORI ETHINOGRAPHIC ITEM OF ITS TIMES. :)

thanks fpr the info, vanadoo. i saw a 'violin' shaped one on offer for about 3 times what i paid for this one that was carved on one side only, except the other had 'New Zealand" carved on the blank side, plus a sticker saying who carved it. saw another of similar shape to mine but lesser carved & no inlays for 10x mine. saw a couple more at incredulous prices.

i would assume then that the labelled one is even more recent & more for those who travel.

item arrived yesterday afternoon.

while it is of the dimensions advertised, which seem to be close to those historic ones, it seems small. it also fits the hand well & it is heavy enough that it would do serious damage to a skull if you had the necessity to apply it as intended.

F Y I The "violin" shaped item is called a KOTIATE.
Stu