New Acquisitions

Complete kahu huruhuru, with tui, weka and pigeon feathers. Manufactured using whatu aho rua (two-pair weft-twining) technique with flax. There is a black strand along the left and right edges. The cloak has horizontal bands of alternating triangles, the lower five alternate between black and white triangles, with occasional triangles in green. The sixth band from the bottom is alternating green and white triangles, with the uppermost band once again alternating black and white. There is a band around the upper edge that has lost many of its feathers. There were two sets of ties along the upper edge, but they have been lost.

Incomplete adze. Blade remaining. Quadrangular. Surface is bruised with some minor flaking on edges Butt not present. Bevel is demarcated by a straight line and tapers sharply down to cutting edge. Cutting edge is straight, blunt and chipped.

Complete adze. Stone. Black and light grey. Cross-section is rectangular. Surface of front is ground, back and sides are ground with areas of flaking. Undifferentiated between butt and blade, sides taper towards poll. Bevel is continous with blade, cutting edge is sharp and curved.

Complete adze. Dark grey stone. The cross-section is triangular. The surface is mostly bruised with ground areas on the lower blade. There is a pointed shoulder on the front of the blade and a reduction in the stone on the front of the butt. The bevel is smooth and continuous with the blade but demarcated by its ground surface. The cutting edge is blunt and chipped.

Complete pounamu pendant. Light green tangiwai/bowenite with high translucency. Surface is polished. Fracture mark is apparent at the proximal end. Broken suspension hole, with string cord lashed to one side of the proximal end. Distal end is rounded.

Obsidian core. Cortex visible on the top, along with ripples and radial fissures from strikes on the proper right. The proper right side has a flat edge.

Complete adze. Stone. Mid grey. Cross-section is oval. Surface is ground. Undifferentiated between butt and blade, sides taper towards poll. Bevel is continuous with blade, cutting edge it blunt and curved.

Complete tatā (canoe bailer). Mid brown wood. Surface is smooth but cracked, with four repairs with wire on the scoop and a large chip missing from the centre of the pouring edge. Handle is curved and projects over the scoop with a manaia on the butt. A piece apparently connected the head of the manaia to the bailer floor, but has been sawn away. Proximal end is carved with two manaia, bodies carved in a rauponga (ridge and notch) pattern. The rim above the manaia is carved with a rauponga on one side and a koru on the other side.

Complete tatā (canoe bailer). Elongated and narrow, made from mid brown rimu with a dark red stain. Handle formed in two curved pieces, joining together at a face carving on the butt. Proximal end of the scoop has a pakura design around the exterior surface of the rim. Horizontal grooves on the exterior bottom of the proximal end of the scoop. The interior surface and distal end of the exterior surface of the scoop are smooth and undecorated. The interior of the scoop has a ridge at about the midpoint, tapering to the pouring lip.

Complete adze. Asymmetrical. Ground with heavy bruising and flaking around all edges. Butt has minor differentiation, sides taper toward poll. Bevel demarcated by a faintly curved line across blade. Cutting edge is straight and blunt with minor chipping.

Complete adze. Rectangular. Ground with heavy bruising and flaking on sides and poll. Left side proper back of butt has been heavily flaked away. Butt has major differentiation, sides have been heavily reduced and shoulders raised. Bevel is demarcated by a faint horizontal line. Cutting edge is rounded, moderately sharp and has minor chipping.

Complete adze. Oval at poll, trapezoidal at blade with back narrower than front. Ground with heavy bruising around butt and edges. Butt has major differentiation, sides and front have been clearly reduced and front and side of shoulder has been raised. Bevel is continuous with blade and tapers down to cutting edge. Cutting edge is slightly rounded, moderately sharp and has heavy chipping.