|
Date: |
|
Description: | Curved Handclub, Wahaika, Maori People, New Zealand
With a name meaning ‘fish-mouth’, the form of the wahaika is unique and distinctive. Backwards-curving hand-clubs were made elsewhere in Polynesia (notably, on Easter Island) but the Maori developed this style to a remarkable degree of refinement. Like the curved slashing swords of Asia, the curved wooden blade along the wahaika’s striking edge created a larger surface that the striking force was applied through during a single blow; wounds were therefore larger.
The name is believed to refer to the distinctive notch in the middle of the striking edge, which was used to parry an enemy’s club and deflect it, or even disarm him.
Wood. Mid-19th Century. Formerly in the private collection of an unknown Mr Alexander.
Wooden wahaika club of bill-hook form.
caption: General view of whole of Horniman Museum object no 29.257
caption: Detail view of decoration of Horniman Museum object no 29.257 | Publisher: | http://www.horniman.ac.uk/ | Rights holder: | Horniman Museum and Gardens | Subjects: | New Zealand Maori clubs (weapons: bludgeon) wood War- and Peace-making clubs | Source: | Horniman Museum | Identifier: | oai:oai.horniman.ac.uk:object-61765 | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
-
-
-
-
-
Club
Short spatulate wooden club. Local…
-
-
-
-
|