Model war canoe (waka taua) 1900-01
Carved wood inlaid with shell | 55.0 x 311.0 x 36.0 cm (whole object) | RCIN 74079
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A Maori model war canoe (waka taua) of carved wood, with a raised stern and a tuere-type prow in the shape of a human head. It is inlaid with roundels of haliotis shell and has a flooring of grid sticks. A black wood strengthener is lashed to the side and the gunwhale is carved with scrolling patterns.
War canoes were the largest and most important of the various canoes built by the Maori and could reach up to 24 metres in length. They were used to transport warriors in times of conflict and possibly also for the ritual transfer of ancestors' bones to burial sites.
This rare nineteenth century model war canoe is more than 3 metres long.Provenance
Presented to The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King George V and Queen Mary) by Te Pokiha Taranui (known as 'Major Fox') on behalf of the Arawa people at the Maori Welcome at Rotorua in 1901. The Duke and Duchess were visiting New Zealand as part of a global tour, and numerous gifts were presented to them following a display of songs, haka and poi dances. Taranui, who was by then elderly and in ill health, presented a ceremonial adze (RCIN 69980) in addition to the model canoe.
Carved by Tene Waitere (1853/4?-1931), from the Ngati Tarawahai region of Te Arawa.
Exhibited at the Imperial Institute, London, in 1902: ‘Gifts & Addresses received by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall & York during their visit to The King’s Dominions beyond the seas, 1901’ (exhib. cat. no. 334). The exhibition catalogue noted that the canoe was at that time decorated with 'feather ornaments in the prow and stern, also on the rubbing streak' (p. 56). -
Creator(s)
(craftsman)(nationality)Acquirer(s)
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Medium and techniques
Carved wood inlaid with shell
Measurements
55.0 x 311.0 x 36.0 cm (whole object)
Category
Object type(s)
Bibliographic reference(s)
The Maori Collections at the British Museum / by Dorota C. Starzecka, Roger Neich & Mick Pendergrast (2010) p.26
Place of Production
New Zealand
