Lot 151

Antique, Fine Art and Collectables auction held on Wednesday 23rd of October 2019

A carved wooden Maori Kotiate short hand club, "liver cutter" measuring 35 cm long x 13cm wide. The reke (butt) of the handle a carved tiki with inset paua (abalone) eyes. At the base of the carved tiki a hole with possible original harakeke (flax) string. The body of the club is carved in the rauponga pattern making the origin likely to be the Waipu Valley on the North East Coast of New Zealand. The pattern consists in each quarter a row of dog-tooth notches (pakati) on each side of which are parallel grooves (haehae) and ridges (raumoa). The club body is inset 3 paua (abalone) shells. The club is identically carved each side and inset a total of eight shells.