Massue courte « Patu Koti-até» Lot n° 13

Used in the warrior dances of Haka Peruperu and during fights, it has a bilobed shape and is carved with meticulousness and mastery of a magnificent engraved decoration of geometrical lines of saw teeth evoking lightning and lozenges. The figure of a tiki is on each side, with mother-of-pearl inlaid eyes giving it a beautiful, timeless and dynamic expressiveness. The end of the handle is carved in the round with another tiki figure, the mouth turning into a bird's beak, and the tongue out in defiance. This second tiki corresponds, according to the explanations of the Tairāwhiti Museum in Gisborne, New Zealand, to a deity or an element of protection. This weapon was designed for close combat, and the two notches on it were intended to cut the liver of the enemy, the name "Koti-até" meaning "liver-cutter". Wood, old honey and brown patina, shiny in places (some small chips from use on the edges) Maori, New Zealand, 19th century 34,5 x 12,5 cm Provenance: Carrefour gallery, Pierre Vérité, Paris, 1993