Lot 54
MAORI QUARTER STAFF, TAIAHA
NEW ZEALAND
Auction: 28 May 2026 from 13:00 BST
Description
carved wood, wax and shell, the long tapering shaft fully covered in finely incised scrolling decoration with shell eye inlays, terminating in an upoko with further shell inlay and a tongue extending from the mouth, richly adorned with carved detail, the surface with a dark glossy patination throughout
Dimensions
156.2cm long
Provenance
Private collection, United Kingdom, acquired in the 1950s at the clearance sale of Oxhey Place, Hertfordshire, and thence by descent
Oxhey Place, formerly the residence of the Blackwell family, owners of Crosse & Blackwell, collection likely assembled during the early 20th century
Footnote
A taiaha of comparable style, with similar scrolling motifs down the entire length of the tinana, can be seen at the Te Papa in Wellington (accession number OL000069.S/36). It was acquired by the New Zealand government in 1948 from the private collection of William Oldman (1879 –1949).
Another similar example, originally acquired by Admiral Richard Aldworth (1811-1889) in 1847, whilst serving as Captain of HMS Fly, was sold as part of the Edric van Vredenburgh Collection by Sotheby's on the 13th April 2022, achieving a final price of EUR 23,940 (lot 119).