item details
NameTupara (double-barrelled shotgun).
ProductionWilliam Morter; gunsmith; circa 1860; England
Classificationshotguns, Tūpara, firearms
Materialswalnut, steel, brass
Techniqueswoodcarving
DimensionsOverall: 70mm (width), 220mm (height), 1175mm (length)
Registration NumberDM000065
Credit lineExchange from John Handley, 1907
Overview
Muzzle loading, double barrelled percussion shotgun. The gun was made by the English gunsmith William Morter, about 1860. The stock has been finely carved by an unknown Māori artist.
Guns of this type, known as 'Tupara', were widely used by Māori during the New Zealand wars.