| Native Name | Wahaika |
| Object Number | P3116 |
| Current Location | Collections Storage |
| Culture | Maori |
| Provenience | New Zealand |
| Period | Te Huringa I Period |
| Date Made | 1800 - 1900 CE |
| Section | Oceanian |
| Materials | Whale Bone |
| Description | A whale bone wahaika (short-hand club). There is a wheku (carved face that depicts an ancestor) figure underneath the blade; one side has a three-fingered hand on the stomach, the other side has the arm bent backwards. The reke (butt of the weapon) is carved in the shape of a head. Underneath the head is a circular hole from which a wrist cord (tau) would have been attached. A wahaika is a short-handled thrusting weapon with a distinctive figure carved on one side. Used in close combat, the wahaika can be used to both parry and strike. The slit along the edge of the club would have been to snag and dislodge an opponent's weapon in battle. |
| Length | 37 cm |
| Width | 10.5 cm |
| Credit Line | Purchased from W. O. Oldman, 1912 |
| Other Number | 31393 - Dealer's Number |
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