Pūtōrino (bugle flute)

This pūtōrino (bugle flute) appears to be very old, having the shallow relief 'soft' look left by stone tooling. The two lengthwise halves of the instrument are bound fairly evenly in six places with thin strips of split kiekie (climber: Freycinetia banksii) vines. The wider proximal end has a raised mask that once had pāua (large New Zealand abalone with blue-green inner shell) shell inlay for the eyes. The whole surface of the pūtōrino is carved with pākati (dog tooth pattern) notches and haehae (parallel grooves) that are interrupted by the kiekie bindings where they change directions.

Two voices
The pūtōrino has been called a bugle flute because it has two voices. The traditional concept is that the two voices are complementary - male and female. The male voice sounds when the instrument is blown through the wider proximal end, like a trumpet. The kōkiri (negotiating skill) of the pūtōrino's male voice was traditionally used to summon people.

The female voice sounds when the instrument is played in a side-blown way, like a flute. The flute opening - another carved face with a hollowed-out mouth flush with the surface - is midway down the instrument. The female voice is sometimes a crying sound, and is used as such on appropriate occasions. The instrument's shape is like the cocoon of the casemoth (a small native moth), and embodies Hine Raukatauri (goddess of flutes).

Varied effects
Although the pūtōrino has a limited range, the sounds can be varied to create a wide range of natural and enchanting effects to accompany traditional singing. The pūtōrino can stir a wide range of emotions, from the ghostly chill of an icy wind to the heart-warming resonance of clear flute sounds.