| Native Name | Taiaha |
| Object Number | P2201 |
| Current Location | Collections Storage |
| Culture | Maori |
| Provenience | New Zealand |
| Period | Te Huringa I Period |
| Date Made | 1800 - 1900 CE |
| Section | Oceanian |
| Materials | Wood | Abalone | Plant Fiber |
| Description | A taiaha (long-handled fighting staff), made of one piece of wood. There is a pointed blade with deep, incised carvings resembling a head. The arero (tongue) is decorated with double spirals containing pākati (notching). Pāua (abalone) shell eyes. The fighting staff is broken underneath the blade, repaired with a metal pin, and wrapped with plant fiber cord. Most likely made with steel tools due to the depth of the carving. The taiaha is a long-handled fighting staff used to stab, parry, and strike. The distinctive blade is carved to resemble a head (upoko) with a tongue (arero) coming out of its mouth. This gesture of defiance in Māori culture is often represented in carvings. |
| Length | 177 cm |
| Width | 8 cm |
| Credit Line | Purchased from W. O. Oldman; Subscription of Herbert L. Clark in memory of Edward W. Clark, 1911 |
| Other Number | 16264 - Dealer's Number |
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