Knife

ClassificationsTools and Equipment-knives

Culture Māori

Datemid 19th - early 20th Century

Made AtNew Zealand

Collection SiteSydney, New South Wales, Australia, Australia

MediumWood and shell

Dimensions14 1/8 × 1 7/8 × 1/2 in. (35.9 × 4.8 × 1.3 cm)

Credit LineThe George Stanley Lodin Collection

Object number2015.17.33

DescriptionThis knife has a blade of wood. Its delicate nature and construction makes it unlikely that it was actually made for use. Lodin (donor) noted that this piece is “modern,” and it is likely that it was made for tourist or non- Maōri consumption. The carving and decoration on its handle are consistent with Maōri design motifs. New Zealand has a burgeoning tourism industry that began in the mid to late 19th and 20th Centuries. A souvenir market of Maōri-style items and Maōri imagery developed in tandem with tourism and many items such as this piece were sold to visitors from around the world.

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