MAORI BAILERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25089, 22 January 1947, Page 2

MAORI BAILERS

EXHIBITS AT CANTERBURY MUSEUM An interesting exhibit which the Canterbury Museum has received recently is a Maori bailer which was bought in a second-hand shop in Guildford, Surrey, by Dr. P. B. Maling, of Christchurch, and presented to the museum. The bailer is typical of many works of Maori art taken to Europe in the early decades of the nineteenth century It would probably be impossible to secure such a work of art at any similar shop in New Zealand. The bailer is of unusual length and shows distinction between the long scooping outer tip and the deeper basin-like water carrier behind it. The workmanship is beautiful. It is thought that the bailer originally came from the Bay of Plenty. There is also a further bailer on display which was found at Monck’s Bay. Redcliffs, in 1899. It is of unusual pattern, the handle being affixed to one side to give added strength. It is one of the few known examples of South Island carving. Bailers were used by the Maoris for removing water from canoes. The largest were used in most valued canoes and had special names given them, and the standard pattern.had a scoop with a central grip rising from the base. The exhibits are on display in the Maori annexe.