Haehae Carved Maori Wahaika Club

Maori hand club wahaika, this hardwood club is finely incised…
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Maori hand club wahaika, this hardwood club is finely incised over the entire blade with deep relief linear haehae carving. A finely carved ancestor figure on the side of the club with elliptical eyes, curved legs and hands held to the belly. The butt of the club has a stylized face with protruding tongue and is pierced with a hole for fibre attachment (handle). A wahaika is a short club normally made of wood or whalebone. Its name can be translated to mean 'the mouth of the fish'. The club has a notch on one side which is used to catch an opponent's weapon. It is used for thrusting and striking in close quarter, hand-to-hand fighting. Provenance: Ex collection of Hans Merterns and was in the family for more the 70 years / Todd Barlin collection. 36 x 15.5 cm

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  • Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.

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