THE SACRED LOWER JAW

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2131, 24 April 1914, Page 7

THE SACRED LOWER JAW

. WHAT MAUI DID. At: the meeting of the Wellington; Philosophical Society on Wednesday evening, Dr. J. 'A. Thomson exhibited a number, of trophies which had been secured for tho Dominion Museum from New Guinea. These consisted of a selection of weird ceremonial masks, grotesque in shape and adornment, nativo steno ehis'els, a. drill, carved shield-shaped boards, which are suspended inside or outsido the huts to ward off evil spirits, a quaint garter string with nuts, and ornamental waist belts. One curious exhibit was a couple of ancient skulls (ono carved), completo with tho lower jaw and teeth, secured by a fibre thong. Dr. A. K. Newman congratulated Mr. Thomson on securing exhibits of a class which we're now. becoming scarce. Ho pointed out that it was'very rare indeed that a New Guinea skull ould be obtained with tho lower jaw attached. For somo reason or othor tho natives of Papua held tho lower jaw to bo sacred and would never sell them. Tho Maori appeared to have had a similar reverence for tho lower jaw. It was related, however, that Maui took the lower jaw of his mother-in-law with which to make tho hook that ho fished up New Zealand with. Dr. Newman went on to say tho carving of tho Now Guinea natives was rough and crude compared with that of tho Maoris,. who held the highest placo as carvers. The only exception which ho had over como across wcro somo fine images carved by tho natives of Easter Island. Theso wero in tho British Museum. They wero absolutely beautiful, and anatomically correct, whereas the Maori figures never really resembled tho human figure. Tho legs of their figures wero always very squat, thero wcro no ankles, and, of course, tho hands wore only piven three fingers. In othor respects, 'however, tho carving of the Maoris was much finer than that of any other Polynesian or Mclanesian race.