ETHNOLOGICAL SEARCH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19880, 6 March 1939, Page 14

ETHNOLOGICAL SEARCH

SCIENTISTS VISIT H.B. MAORI WORKMANSHIP Two Dominion Museum scientists, Messrs. W. J. Phillips and J. T. Salmon, have returned to Wellington after a tour through the Taupo and Hawke's Bay districts. They have been, among other scientific researches, making a collection of photographs of carved Maori houses and other treasures of historic and ethnological value, of which no such record at present exists. Throughout the North Island are many carved houses and examples jf old-time Maori workmanship, many oi which are being permitted to fall into decay for lack of attention. The local Maoris do not care to look after them, but resent interference from outsiders. Carving Rotted Away In one case, the scientists found a splendid example of ancient craftsmanship, the carved barge-board of a whare, which had been permitted to fall to the ground and was rotting away. The importance of obtaining a pictorial record of such subjects will readily be appreciated. The scientists also obtained a number of photographs of interesting articles at the Napier Museum. At Napier they were particularly interested'by a model of a Maori canoe the historic Takiui canoe of the migration, carved by a chief 09 years ago. It incorporated certain details apparently. peculiar to vessels of the Napier district.