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Overview
This formidable weapon has been created by fixing the head of a whaling harpoon to a carved wooden handle. The double-fluke harpoon head is made from forged iron and would normally have been fastened to a hardwood shaft between about1 to2 metres in length.The double-fluke design dates to before the13th century. This one is consistent with two-fluke designs used in New Zealand and abroad in the mid-19th century and may be of American manufacture as British harpoon heads of the period were commonly date stamped with the manufacturer's name and place of manufacture.
Origin
The carved handle is stylistically similar to a northern Tai Tokerau form, but may have been manufactured in the Wellington region. A weapon of this type is likely to have been made during the heyday of the Kapiti whaling industry between 1830 and 1845. At that time, Kapiti Island supported at least five whaling stations, with further stations located on its offshore islands of Tahoramaurea, Motungarara, and Tokamapuna. Other whaling stations were situated along the coast between Kapiti and Porirua.
A battle relic?
There were two significant battles fought on the beach between Waikanae and Otaki during this period –Haowhenua (1834) and Kuititanga (1839). European whalers witnessed both events, and ships' surgeons from the New Zealand Company ship Tory attended the wounded at Kuititanga. This particular patiti may well be a relic from those violent episodes.