Māhoe wood was used by Māori for fire-making. By rubbing a pointed stick of kaikōmako rapidly in a grooved piece of soft māhoe wood, they could heat the māhoe to ignition point. A fine fluff of dry moss, wood dust or beaten flax was placed in the groove and when that was alight, larger dry material such as raupō (shown bound up in a pile) was placed over the flame.
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Auckland Art Gallery – Toi o Tāmaki
Oil on canvas by Gottfried Lindauer
Permission of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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