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Overview
The hoeroa is an enigmatic weapon made from the lower jaw of the sperm whale. Hoeroa are prestigious heirlooms, usually the preserve of high-ranking men, and representing their personal mana (chiefly authority). Hoeroa are also weapons, but the technical aspects of its use are uncertain.
According to a letter [E.E. Francis, 1903] associated with the Oldman collection this hoeroa was said to have been gifted to Queen Victoria by a Maori chief when he visited England. It was returned to New Zealand in 1948 as as part of the Oldman collection of Maori and Pacific artefacts.