Maori Long Club, New Zealand

English Private Collection

Estate Auction, Taunton, Somerset, acquired from the above

Wayne Heathcote, London, acquired at this sale

American Private Collection, acquired from the above in 1997

Sotheby's, New York, Sculpture: Africa, Pacific, Americas, 4 December 2020, lot 94

French Private Collection, acquired at this sale

The Taiaha embodies a unique mix of Maori art, spirituality and warfare strategy. Skillfully wielded in ritual duels and on the battlefield, it is a symbol of the command over body, speech, and mind - essential qualities for a rangatira (chief).

Its sculpted end, known as the upoko (head), features a bifrons face with a protruding tongue that forms a blade decorated with champlevé scroll engravings. This stuck out tongue, emblematic of the Maori haka and challenge, is an expression of bravery, pride and determination. The inlaid eyes give the sculpture a lifelike gleam, evoking the warrior’s spiritual vigilance. Beneath the head, a collar of feathers and hair (tauri) softens the transition between the figure and the long body (tinana), which ends in a flat blade used for striking and parrying.