Patu Paraoa

A very fine and archaic patu paraoa, a short spatulate bladed fighting weapon. The word patu refers to the type of weapon whilst the word paraoa refers to the material which is bone from the lower jaw of the sperm whale. The present example is very unusual in that it shows what appears to be the impact of a massive lead bullet which partially shattered the blade leaving a crater and collateral damage. The butt of the patu is perfectly smooth and rounded off in the most archaic manner.

Maori People, New Zealand, Polynesia. 
Whale bonne (physeter catodon) with a very early and worn patina. 36 x 7,5 cm. 17/18th century, pre-contact from the  Te Puawaitanga period, 1500-1800.

 

Provenance Ex collection : 
Julian & Barbara Harding pre-1990 (see photo of Julian Hardin's letter dated 2005)
Important Tribal Art, Lot 260, Sotheby's, Londres — 21 juin 1993
 

Literature: Julian Harding in his descriptive letter of 2005 offers that the missing section of this patu was specifically created to accomodate the users thumb when grasping the weapon for combat. I beg to differ and propose that the missing section has specific caracteristics that can be related to a blunt force trauma such as a lead bullet from a musket. Weapons are often damaged in combat and this could be one example of what can happen on the battlefield to such a prestigious weapon. It is of course pure conjecture, but one can surmise that perhaps the Patu deflected a bullet, saving the Maori warrior from injury and thus acquiring powerful mana for both it's owner and the Patu.