Rere (knife or short sword)

item details

NameRere (knife or short sword)

ProductionUnknown; maker/artist; Kiribati

Classificationedged weapons

Materialstooth, husk (plant material), wood, plant fibre

Materials Summaryshark teeth, plant fibre, wood

Dimensions35mm, 517mm

Registration NumberOL002074/1

Credit lineOldman Collection. Gift of the New Zealand Government, 1992

Overview

This rere (light, curved knife or short sword) has two rows of sharks' teeth lining either side of its blade. They have been carefully perforated and set into a groove along the blade edge tied by a fine plaited cord.

History
A wide range of long and short hand weapons featuring shark-tooth blades were made in Kiribati. They were part of an indigenous armoury that included full suits of thick coconut fibre 'armour' and porcupine-fish helmets.

Tourist items
These types of swords are fairly common in museum collections and have been made as tourist items in Kiribati for close to one hundred years. The wood used in the manufacture is coconut palm, and the fine strong binding cord is usually a combination of coconut fibres and hair. Other variations of the sword combine stingray tail barbs among the rows of shark teeth.

Acquisition
This rere was purchased by the New Zealand Government as part of the Oldman Collection in 1948.