Wahaika (striking weapon)

A wahaika is a type of hand club that was in common use before the introduction of European technology to New Zealand. Most wahaika were made either from whale bone or wood. The whole blade edge might be used to parry blows or strike an opponent during combat.

Details
This example has two carved figures placed head to head on the blade. There are abbreviated hands and bodies beneath each head. The point of the blade has a broken out hole, which is quite unusual in weapons of this type.

History
This wahaika was part of Sir Joseph Banks' collection from James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand in 1769. It is most likely from the Cook Strait area, as the Endeavour was anchored in the Marlborough Sounds when it was collected. When Banks died in 1820, his library and collection went to his secretary Robert Brown, who in 1827 transferred them to the British Museum. Apparently, Banks kept his collection in a cupboard, which had the following description written in Banks' hand: 'Instruments, used carvings, weapons, and heads, collected by Capt. Cook during the voyage of the Endeavour'. The wahaika later became part of Kenneth A Webster's collection, most of which was purchased by the New Zealand Government for the National Museum in 1958.

Significance
This wahaika is an important example of pre-European Māori weaponry. It shows how Māori artisans used stone tools to fashion effective weapons for use in close combat, a preferred method of warfare. This particular wahaika also reflects the European practices and the attitudes of the naturalists who accompanied the expeditions of discovery into the Pacific. Their mission was to collect, represent, and re-interpret the so-called primitive societies they encountered for a curious audience back home.