MAORI RELICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 895, 15 August 1910, Page 10

MAORI RELICS.

Some Interesting finds.

Three' interesting specimens have recently' been' added to the Maori collection at the Dominion Museum. One is a bono comb about ,ten' inches long, of which the original purpose was.to ornament the hair of a: chief after it had" been tied up.. .Jn the old days the, chiefs, wore tliejr.l.'hair teng-,1 and', it, was.'carefully, .dressed: and. twisted' into ■ a '.'knot' at .tho back, -Intoithis'the 'comb .was stuck. Sometimes tho hair was.further •adorned by streamers V of'the. innerbark of a plant which"' had a " white and papery appearance,, .or.. „by small bunches of coloured feathers, generally from the parrot. Theso combs, are not common nowadays and are generally, .like,the ono/k question, dug up on tho 'site of old settlements, mainly in the' South Island. They have' been found atmpst vof tho,'principal settlements between Timaru and the Bluff. The par-ticular!-bone-'of;; which they are made' is the thirt portion' of the lower jaw: of sorhei. of 'the. smaller' whales." They are generally more' or less carved in the same place,, near the 'tor/ leftjiand side; The carving probably" represents some personal mark. In somo cases it is a tad, in, others.,a form. of. which' ■the meaning lias been, lost. This .particular .comb was found- on the ; site of 'a former village near Dunedin. ... ' The second' specimen is a bone thatching needle, -about ten. inches long, carved' at' one end,, and- pierced with three or .four holes, through which'a cord- some, feet in length; was passed. The other end'of the.neeble is sharp-ened.,-'lt'was used-in- passing the binding • cords-.through- the bundles', of reeds, raupo, or, grass used in covering { ihe.; roof" and sides- of a- house. Something of this' kind is : used .by'stack thatchers" and-, otters'Sat-the- present day.;-;; : ' , ;,,-,..--,,-, •,*..;■■' ■ ...

.. THe...other.,speeimen is a, thin;stone,'about'ten' inches in diameter, hollowed out for grinding lyinaij berries from which the Maoris used/to make a kind of cake. On the other side the stone .bears the carved-face of a protecting deity for tie kumera fields." It. was found at Rabbit-Island;, .'near-':Nelson Harbour. .