Lot 35
MAORI QUARTER STAFF
TAIAHA. NEW ZEALAND, 19TH CENTURY
£2,268
Classical Ancient Art // Form Through Time
Auction: Form Through Time - 21st March 2024 at 2pm
Description
carved wood, long tapering shaft terminating in an upoko with tongue extending out from the mouth adorned with carved scrolls, the eyes inlaid with haliotis-shell
Dimensions
149.2cm long
Provenance
Provenance:
Private collection, North Berwick, United Kingdom
Footnote
Note:
Maori men of high birth wielded staffs as symbols of their social status. These staffs served various purposes, including enhancing oratory skills, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, and participating in ceremonial exhibitions. Additionally, they functioned as both parrying and sparring weapons for a martial art known as Mau taiaha, still taught and practised in New Zealand today. Certain staffs held significant importance, as they were believed to possess magical properties and were employed for divination purposes.
