Scrimshaw
Description
A pair of mounted scrimshaw bullock horns joined to a wooden trophy shield. The join is covered with black velvet and the horns are decorated with punched and inked dots. There are three paua shell inlays on the right facing horn and three similar ones on the left facing horn are missing. There is a metal wire hanger on the reverse and " Nell Christie Coll/ 1967 " is written on a paper label adhered to the reverse. Another handwritten label, which was copied of the original Christie collection label is also written on the reverse.- "Carved Bullock Horns / By a Maori / (1920)."
Symbols on the left facing horn, described from the tip inwards, are:
1). A Masonic symbol.
2). A dog.
3). A branch with berries (possibly a Miro branch) with two birds on it.
4). A waka taua with five paddlers & one helmsman. " WAKATAUA " is written above it.
5). A Maori man wearing a korowai and holding a patu in his upraised arm
6). Images 4 and 5 are overtopped with " E PENEI
ANA TE AHUA O TE MAORI / I MUA
ME HAERE KI TE / WHAWHAI ME TE AHUA O TENEI." (Literal translation of this is " That is what Maori used to look like before they went to war. And this is what it looks like.")
7). There are three small rough squares which have been cut for paua shell inlay. One is filled with a dark waxy substance, one is filled with paua and one is empty.
Symbols on the left facing horn, described from the tip inwards, are:
1).A dog looking up at a bird in flight.
2). A bird in flight.
3). A British Royal Crest
4). A small horse(3) above
5). A large building or castle (possibly Buckingham Palace)
6). Three small inserts of paua surrounded by two lines
of scrimshaw dots
7). 3,4 & 5 overtopped by text:- "NO - PARIHAKA - NO -
OKETOPA - 30 / 1894 / KAOTI."
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