A HANDSOME GIFT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 92, 11 January 1918, Page 7

A HANDSOME GIFT

TO THE DOMINION MUSEUM

NEW ZEALAND WOODS AND MAORI ART i

An interesting and in many respects la unique.bequest-has just reached the Dominion ..Museum, The collection, . ■'which is a varied one, 1 was- bequeathed ■under the will of the late Mrs. E. H. .'Blair,-.-of St, .Mary's Tower, Birnam, ■Scotland (formerly. -Mrs.- Watt), in •memory of her first husband, Mr. A. A. ■'.Watt, formerly of Hawke's Bay. The collection is, as has been ?aid, ■ ;a varied one, but tlipniost valuable article in it is- a masterpieco of inlaid .-woodwork. It is.set down in tho catalogue as sn - "inlaid wood cabinet," which certainly gives very little, indication of the unique nature of its value Jtnd beauty. Designed for use .a.writing table, tho cabinet in. question .stands, almost five feet in height, the principal -Tv'ood employed being kauri, with which '■aro combined puriri and rewa-rewa,.and oiever was the beautv of these New Zealand woods more effectively display- - ed. : The table itself is formed _cf "a beautiful slab of -kauri, from which rises art elaborately inlaid three-fold cabinet, i/j the ornamentation of which mottled ~ kauri is contrasted with puriri with rich effect. On the centre panel tbo figure of a moa, statuesque beneath a giant tree fern, occupies the fore- . ground, while in the background is seen the narrow arm of a lake shut'n'by ..'ranges of,mountains. .It is in the working ouf.pf these landscape.''panels' that tho artist, has shown siieh. consummate • ekill and such artistic feeling. By ..'■utilising the splendid grain of tho bighlyrpolisned kauri,' the /effect,of great cumulus clouds in' a summer sky is'pro'dnced. and a wonderfully, realistic background provided.for the skilful inlay of the moa and the great tree' fern with its'.drooping fronds ju, the foreground. Figured Panels. The panels,of the smaller doors of the threefold cabinet are inlaid with rep'revsentatious of Maori figures, , a man and' . » woman. , respectively. Both are clothed in Native' garments, 'whose .fine "tanikq" border is worked in.minute ~'mosaic, incredibly fine, while a slight ■use of staining ainf incised lines gives softness and relief .to the folds. No' 'details of these pictures' in woodcraft are forgotten, from the tatooed faces ■ to the decorated .'bargeboards of i'the ■Native dwellings in'the background. 'Above the panelled doors the cabinet is finished with a caryed ornament in high relief of flax, leaves and fern fronds. In the centre of this,' within a, deeply-sunk oval, is the finely "carved head of-a •Maori chief, wrought in puriri wood, whose smooth olive brown-' contrasts . most effectively with the dark rich tone of _the stained kauri employed in the foliage decorations. Below, the smooth band of puriri which edges the slab Gf the writing table shows in lovely contrast one of the most wonderful bits of handicraft on this triumph of the craftnmn's art. This is a. broad band of golden rewa-rewa-inlaid with minute : blocks'of puriri, and thus forming a trellis' pattern which' runs the whole length of the table drawer. " Othor Treasures. There are some' very fine examples 'of Maori art., in the collection' of weapons'and l peremoriial garments which is included in the bequest of Mrs.i ■Blair. -Notable among them is a "putatara," or shell trumpet, with carved •wojideh mouthpiece, while two "wakahuia,"- or carved boxes for; keeping feathers in, are very fine' specimens of this toilette, casket of the old times. There are some good specimens of ceremonial paddles, used, be it' remembered, merely as decorative adjuncts; two •"tewha-tewha," that excellently effective weapon which looks like a battle- , axe frivolously decorated with feathers,and in tn'e experienced 'grasp of the •Maori warrior proved such a- deadly •weapon: two old.taiaha, blackened with age and use, are included: in this'section of Mrs. Blair's gifts. Among the ceremonial garments are some feather cloaks and capes, while oho of the Rarments shows really, exquisite "taniko" hordoring. '.'.'. Several Polynesian weapons and somo carving of mixed and somewhat bastard design., as well as several weapons of the mere-type, are included in tliis section of the collection, : but there is iio .'doubt that for the.general public attention will be concentrated "on the iheautiful inlaid writing table already described, and tho inlaid workbox of iNew Zealand woods which forms an appropriate companion to it. .