MAORI ARTICLES FOR MUSEUM

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25705, 18 January 1949, Page 6

MAORI ARTICLES FOR MUSEUM

Permanent Loan From England

RESPONSE TO LETTER FROM MAYOR A number cf fine examples-of Maori handiwork are to be sent on “permanent Ioan” to the Canterbury Museum frojn the Royal Museum and Public Library at Canterbury, England. The director of the Canterbury Museum (Mr R. S. Duff) saw the collection, which includes Maori and Polynesian implements, when he yisHetf JBngland last year. The director of the museum there was surprised to learn that these exhibits were pot represented in the Christchurch collection. The Mayor of Christchurch (Mr E. H Andrews) recently wrote to the Mayor of Canterbury (Aiderman Mrs Evelyn Hews) suggesting that the museum might consider transferring the exhibits to New Zealand. The occasion, Mr Andrews pointed out, wag appropriate in that the museum was changing from university to municipal and local body control anq in that Canterbury province would soon be celebrating its centennial and rebuilding the museum as a memorial. “It seems to me that such a move from the museum of the parent Canterbury would be a fine gesture to the museum and province of Canterbury, New Zealand, on the latter’s 100th birthday,” Mr Andrews wrote. Exhibits Described The exhibits, which are being sent “w|th good wishes to the municipality of Christchurch in its efforts to establish a national museum,” include in the Maori section a carved step of a digging stick or ko. This is a human figure beautifully carved in heavy dark wood and shows evidence pt long use. A lure fish hook in the form of a minnow shaped in fossil jnoa Rone recovered after river floods by the Maoris of the East Cape district of the North Island, is also included, Shanks of this type are not uncommon but this is most unusual in that the barb and line are still attached. There is also a very fine example of the wooden Maori flute (pu torino), and a long needle of human bone used for threading fish. The eye end is decorated with fine surface carving. The Polynesian collection includes a knife set with shark’s teeth from Hawaii:, a' plaited fan with a handle of carved human bone from the Marquesas Islands, and a carved wooden bowl from the Austral Islands. There is no indication of how .these exhibits came to be in the possession of the English museum. They will probabty be sent to Christchurch through New Zealand House and a special .display will be made of them When they arrive at the Canterbury Museum.