New Acquisitions

Mostly complete inanga pounamu/nephrite pendant. Mid green with smoothly ground surface. Wide and rounded at the proximal end with a suspension hole drilled from both sides at the centre. Distal end has an inverted V-shaped projection, one side of which has a small piece broken off. There is a shallow indentation on one edge, just above the intact side of the projection.

Nephrite/pounamu hei tiki, kawakawa variety. Mid green with yellow undertones at the head. Head is large in comparison to the rest of the body and turned to left. Defined forehead ridge, deep-set eyes, double tongue. Suspension hole, drilled from both sides, broken out on top of head. Arms with elbows joined on thighs. Lightly marked three toed legs joined in middle. Profile tapers from proximal end to distal end.

Complete patu onewa. Has a rather large piece of the butt missing and the drilled hole is barely there anymore. The stone around it has been smoothed out. Where the handle and blade meet there is a ridge on it. There is minor surface scratches all over it and on one side it is much rougher and chipped. In decent condition.

Unfinished bone needle, manufactured from hollow bone. Distal end is sharp. There is no eye at the proximal end. The outer surface of the bone is separating from the inner layer, and there is a small length of adhesive tape wrapped partially around this end.

Complete awl, manufactured from hollow bone. Distal end is sharp. Chipped at proximal end.

Complete chisel. Cross-section is semi-circular with proper left side flattened. Surface is ground. Undifferentiated between butt and blade, though front, back and sides taper towards poll. Bevel is demarcated by angled lines that come together in a point. Bevel is concaved. Cutting edge is sharp and curved and chipped.

Roughout of adze. Grey stone. Rectangular cross-section. The surface is mostly flaked. There is an oblique straight shoulder on the front and a reduction in the stone on the front and sides of the butt. The proper left of the bevel is ground and the right is flaked. The cutting edge is asymmetrical with a large chip in the centre of the back.

Complete tokotoko (walking stick). Dark brown wood. Carved with three full-length figures and two faces, all with white shell eyes. The top two figures are male and female human figures, with moko. The bottom full-length figure is more stylized, with a large mouth and carved in a triangular notched pattern, creating a shaggy, fur-like body. All figures and faces are carved with a variety of rauponga, rauru, and mangopare patterns. A band of carved mangopare runs down part of the bottom half of the tokotoko. The handle and distal end are undecorated. The distal end appears to have had a cap which has come off.

The characteristic feature of Gerzean is the thin buff or grey ware decorated with designs in red. Shapes have been strongly influenced by stone vessels of the time. Many of the painted designs are based on the rush coverings in which stone jars were carried and hung. In the later Gerzean period, jars with wavy ledge-handles appear in profusion. There are also round bowls with ship designs, aloes, and all manner of birds, reptiles, and mammals.

Broken greenstone adze, part of butt missing. Quadrangular cross-section. The surface is mostly ground with some bruising and flake scars at the broken end. There is no distinction between the butt and the blade. The bevel is clearly demarcated by a straight ridge. The cutting edge is straight and sharp.

Broken adze, proper right front of butt missing. Light grey/green stone. Quadrangular cross-section. The surface is mostly ground with flake scars. There is no distinction between the butt and the blade. The sides of the blade taper in from the cutting edge to the poll. The bevel is demarcated only on the proper right by an oblique ridge. The cutting edge is irregular and chipped.