MAORI SHORT CLUBS (PATA FORM)

VANDOO · 9th August 2014, 03:45 AM

HERE IS A MODERN MERE MADE AS AN ARTISTIC PIECE AND BASED ON A OLD POLYNESIAN LEGEND. THE ARTIST FASHIONED IT FROM JADE AND MADE IT WITH AN OCTOPUS ON IT. THE GIVEN LEGEND WAS OF A LEGENDARY POLYNESIAN NAVIGATOR NAMED KUPE WHO DISCOVERED NEW ZEALAND WHILE HE WAS CHASING A TROUBLESOME WHEKE (OCTOPUS). THE OCTOPUS HAD BEEN EATING ALL THE FISH IN KUPE'S HOMELAND OF HAWAIKI. THE OCTOPUS WAS FINALLY CONQUERED WITH A PADDLE. THE MERE IS 11.5 INCHES LONG X 4 IN. WIDE AND 1.25IN. THICK MADE OF NEW ZEALAND JADE I BELIEVE IT TO BE A TYPE REFERED TO AS FLOWER JADE AND IS USED IN JEWLRY AND HAS VARIOUS COLORS AND PATTERNS. IT IS NOT CURRENTLY FOR SALE BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT HAS BEEN SOLD OR SIMPLY TAKEN OFF THE MARKET. I THINK IT IS A UNUSUAL EXAMPLE OF A MODERN ETHNOGRAPHIC ART PIECE MADE IN NEW ZEALAND. IT IS CALLED KUPE'S MERE I DON'T KNOW IF THE LEGEND IS A OLD ONE OR MODERN ONE BUT IT MAKES A GOOD STORY

Iliad · 9th August 2014, 10:18 PM

Patu, not Pata.

Best,
Brian

VANDOO · 18th February 2016, 08:28 PM

http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com...weapons-maori/

I found this short reference that is good and covers a bit more than I have. you are right its PATU but I have no way of going back and correcting it.
ONE REFERENCE STATES THAT THE PATU WAS MADE OF STONE OR WHALE BONE BUT NEVER WOOD.THERE ARE MANY WOODEN ONES AROUND NOW SO PERHAPS THEY ARE OF MORE RECENT ORIGINS. SOME OTHER CLUBS WERE MADE OF WOOD BUT NOT STONE AS WELL. THIS INFORMATION MAY BE ABOUT THE OLD PRE-CONTACT TRADITIONS FOR MAKING WEAPONS. OF COURSE IN A ARCHELOGICAL DIG MOST WOODEN ITEMS WILL BE LONG GONE.

josh stout · 18th February 2016, 10:28 PM

The tongue idea may be speculation, but it is interesting. It is certainly not uncommon to see Chinese and other steel weapons with the blade coming out of the open mouthed head forming the guard.

I wonder about the shape based on the long triangle of the original stone "handaxe" that served as models for later celts. Louis Leaky speculated that some handaxes might have been designed for throwing. If so, they would have been held from the tip to put the greater mass of the wide end on the end of a lever arm. The kawas of Vanuatu was a sort of stone throwing stick, but the oldest versions were basically stone hand axes in one piece with a stone handle. I wonder if the patu didn't start as something of the sort. They seem too high value to throw around, but I could imagine that one would have stopping power as a close quarter missile. Slings and spears propelled by cords were excellent Maori distance projectiles, so perhaps in later use they became solely high status clubs.

Well, it is fun to speculate...

VANDOO · 9th June 2016, 08:56 PM

PICTURES #1. THRU #6. PATU MADE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF MATERIALS
#7.VARIOUS STONE CLUBS OR TOOLS
#8. WHALE BONE VARIATION OF PATU
#9. MODERN EXAMPLES PACKED AND READY TO TRAVEL
#10.UNUSUAL MAORI STONE CLUB 18 TO 20 INCHES LONG
#11. VARIOUS STONE FORMS OF PATU
#12. A WELL CARVED WHALE BONE PATUKI CLUB

9th August 2014, 10:18 PM	#2
Iliad Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 187	Maori short club Patu, not Pata. Best, Brian

18th February 2016, 08:28 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	http://www.new-guinea-tribal-art.com...weapons-maori/ I found this short reference that is good and covers a bit more than I have. you are right its PATU but I have no way of going back and correcting it. ONE REFERENCE STATES THAT THE PATU WAS MADE OF STONE OR WHALE BONE BUT NEVER WOOD.THERE ARE MANY WOODEN ONES AROUND NOW SO PERHAPS THEY ARE OF MORE RECENT ORIGINS. SOME OTHER CLUBS WERE MADE OF WOOD BUT NOT STONE AS WELL. THIS INFORMATION MAY BE ABOUT THE OLD PRE-CONTACT TRADITIONS FOR MAKING WEAPONS. OF COURSE IN A ARCHELOGICAL DIG MOST WOODEN ITEMS WILL BE LONG GONE. Last edited by VANDOO; 18th February 2016 at 10:58 PM.

9th June 2016, 08:56 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	PICTURES #1. THRU #6. PATU MADE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF MATERIALS #7.VARIOUS STONE CLUBS OR TOOLS #8. WHALE BONE VARIATION OF PATU #9. MODERN EXAMPLES PACKED AND READY TO TRAVEL #10.UNUSUAL MAORI STONE CLUB 18 TO 20 INCHES LONG #11. VARIOUS STONE FORMS OF PATU #12. A WELL CARVED WHALE BONE PATUKI CLUB Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 9th June 2016 at 09:29 PM.

9th August 2014, 03:45 AM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE IS A MODERN MERE MADE AS AN ARTISTIC PIECE AND BASED ON A OLD POLYNESIAN LEGEND. THE ARTIST FASHIONED IT FROM JADE AND MADE IT WITH AN OCTOPUS ON IT. THE GIVEN LEGEND WAS OF A LEGENDARY POLYNESIAN NAVIGATOR NAMED KUPE WHO DISCOVERED NEW ZEALAND WHILE HE WAS CHASING A TROUBLESOME WHEKE (OCTOPUS). THE OCTOPUS HAD BEEN EATING ALL THE FISH IN KUPE'S HOMELAND OF HAWAIKI. THE OCTOPUS WAS FINALLY CONQUERED WITH A PADDLE. THE MERE IS 11.5 INCHES LONG X 4 IN. WIDE AND 1.25IN. THICK MADE OF NEW ZEALAND JADE I BELIEVE IT TO BE A TYPE REFERED TO AS FLOWER JADE AND IS USED IN JEWLRY AND HAS VARIOUS COLORS AND PATTERNS. IT IS NOT CURRENTLY FOR SALE BUT I AM NOT SURE IF IT HAS BEEN SOLD OR SIMPLY TAKEN OFF THE MARKET. I THINK IT IS A UNUSUAL EXAMPLE OF A MODERN ETHNOGRAPHIC ART PIECE MADE IN NEW ZEALAND. IT IS CALLED KUPE'S MERE I DON'T KNOW IF THE LEGEND IS A OLD ONE OR MODERN ONE BUT IT MAKES A GOOD STORY Attached Images Last edited by VANDOO; 9th August 2014 at 03:59 AM.

18th February 2016, 10:28 PM	#4
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	The tongue idea may be speculation, but it is interesting. It is certainly not uncommon to see Chinese and other steel weapons with the blade coming out of the open mouthed head forming the guard. I wonder about the shape based on the long triangle of the original stone "handaxe" that served as models for later celts. Louis Leaky speculated that some handaxes might have been designed for throwing. If so, they would have been held from the tip to put the greater mass of the wide end on the end of a lever arm. The kawas of Vanuatu was a sort of stone throwing stick, but the oldest versions were basically stone hand axes in one piece with a stone handle. I wonder if the patu didn't start as something of the sort. They seem too high value to throw around, but I could imagine that one would have stopping power as a close quarter missile. Slings and spears propelled by cords were excellent Maori distance projectiles, so perhaps in later use they became solely high status clubs. Well, it is fun to speculate...