MAINLY GREENSTONE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 133, 8 June 1925, Page 5

MAINLY GREENSTONE.

VALUABLE MAORI CURIOS

FOR AUCKLAND MUSEUM.

SOME RARE SPECIMENS.

Auckland's already rich collection of Maori curios und ethnological specimens has been considerably added to recently by a number ~f gift- n, the Museum and also by the purchase of a very line collection from North Auckland. Mr. fl. Montrose (.raliuni lias given an unfinished mere, being made from a very fain,,us piece of greenstone: Mr. Sum Rawusley, a pill pin wii'ml mat nml two kuitnkn cloaks: Mr. 11. 11. Hawkins. Hikurangi a hinnki. ~r eel basket: Mr. 11. I-'.. Vaile. of Ancklnnd. a greenstone pctidant: Mr. A. B. Powell, of Auckland, two hnanga. or grinding stiuu-s. ami an ad/.e, from Miitakana: Mr. \Y. I.a P.ocho. a collection of adzes and pendants in the rough which lie discovered at Mount Camel, Tlotihnrn: Mr. Iliir.li ( . Wright, of Auekl.iiid. three largo net sinkers: Mr. <-'. T. Yates. Oriiru. two very lieiiutiful little greenstone car pendinits: Mr. Tunison. ~f Morniugsi.lc. a rubber used in making lire by friction with two sticks: Dr. Buck, specimen of n large liana or fishing tray, and also a poiiraka, a .special type of rrnvfish-trap, from Te Kalia. liny of Plenty. Mr. R. T. Scccombe. of l-'rankton. has presented a lii:" ?-.ocimi-li of large spinning top used by the Maoris, and be bus also given several good moa bones. Recently at Kariunii. near Franktun, he came across a deposit of the hones of this remarkable bird. The bones he luis sent in to tin- Museum show that tlie owner must have stood eight feet high, while others belonged to birds not more than two or three feet high. Associated with the bones were (lie remain- of the ground parrot, vi- kakapo. and of the tuatara. which nowadays is only found on a few islands oil' the' const. The Museum's Maori sect ion has also been added to by a very tine collection made up of two collections purchased from North Auckland. the purchase money being supplied by the fund raised by public subscription for the purchase of the K.dge Turlington Polynesian collection, but was nut needed, as that collection was afterwards presented as a memorial to the late Dr. T. \V. Lev-. One of tlie must striking tilings among the new objects is a beautifully-carved wooden box .inly a few inches long. which was probably used for holding perfume, such us that obtained from the leaves of tlie tanitii. Such perfumes were highly prized by tlie Maoris. .lodging by the way the carving has been worn, the box must have been iv use a great while. Apart from its beauty, the box is welcome, as the Museum did not previously possess such a small one. Another valuable addition is a rei-puta, a pendant made from a whale's tooth. According to the illustrations in tlie account of early voyages to New Zealand this ornament was fairly common before tlie white man settled here, but nowadays very few specimens arc to be obtained There are several examples of the haro, of flax scutcher, which, being made from greenstone and of symmetrical shape, was also used as a pendant for personal adornment - and probably because the owner knew that if he kept his pet scutcher hanging in liis ear he could rely on finding it when he wanted it. There are iwo good tikis of very old workmanship. Also of greenstone are three beautifully-made needles with eye and all ootuploti—pi obnbly used in sewing tin- strips of shin on to the fabric in the dog-skin mats which were the acme of fashion among the 11.-au llrummcls of .I.icily rank in the days gone by. Highly interesting is a set of ten peki.pcka. or ear pendants in greenstone. These ornaments are as near filigree as the old-time Maori readied, and ihe collection contains several of these quaint ornaments in an unfinished state, so that the student can study the method of ...akin- tbe various openings in the design. Several adzes and meres are also in the collection, which is one of (lie most important added to the Museum for a loin.' while. The second Maori collection which has pot such as used by the toliunga. who exercised tin- craft' of the "moko." or tattoo, ns we cull it. There is also a tiny tattooing chisel about half an inch wide, of bone a very rare instrument. Several barbed bone spear-heads and bone and stone fish-hooks arc also in this interesting collection.