Long fighting staff or stabbing club "taiaha"

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Description

hardwood, shell inlays (partly broken out),

The “taiaha” is one of the most iconic of all the Maori weapons. The long fighting staff was both a deadly weapon and a badge of rank.

There is a martial art system connected to the “taiaha”, known as “mau rakau”, that is still practised today. The “taiaha” requires skill, speed, and agility, which is why it was only wielded by high-ranking warriors, for all the highest art forms were practised only by those of noble lineage. The specialty of the “taiaha” was and still is defence.

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Comparing literature

Hurst, Norman, Power and Prestige, Cambridge 1996, p. 122 ff. "A window into Te Ao Maori: The Taiaha", Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts, 24 September 2021

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