RARE MAORI ORNAMENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19227, 20 January 1937, Page 3

RARE MAORI ORNAMENTS

MARLBOROUGH DISCOVERY

FEAT SIMILAR SIMM.'].MEXS (Pot I’ruas Association.) I’.I.KN II KIM . this day. \ linrl of considerable i lll povt:tm't* to students of Maori history was 'inane recent Iv near a |inlilic works eamji at Aniseed, on the South Island Alain Trunk line, when two objects, since ideutilied as rare .Maori ceremonial ornaments. were discovered buried at I fie loot of a dead tree trunk. The discovery was made soon after work commenced on the access road to I lie site ot a proposed schoolroom at Aniseed, around the slope of a hill at the top of which was once a Alnon fort. A dead tree trunk was uprooted and a workman noticed a small package of old rotted fibre which slid down the hillside and fell apart. Inside were two ornaments which were roughly triangular in shape, will) the longest side measuring about- 6in. ami serrated at the older edge. They are while in colour and decorativrlv cat\ ed.

Tim ornaments were shown to Mr. \\ I. Phillips, ot the Dominion -Museum

win, it is understood, is having mi e.\haustive inquiry made and will probably prepare a paper for publication. It is thought that only three similar specimens are in existence, and they are In the Otago Museum.