This engraving of a Māori warrior from Poverty Bay is from a drawing by artist Sydney Parkinson from October 1769, just days after the first European landing in New Zealand. The warrior's clothing (a kahu kurī or dogskin cloak), his adornment of feathers, a heru (comb), and rei puta (whale tooth necklaces), and his weapons – a patu or mere (club) and tewhatewha (a long-handled weapon) distinguish him as a rangatira. His height and build show that many Māori were tall and muscular in pre-European times.
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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference:
PUBL-0037-15
Hand-coloured engraving after a drawing by Sydney Parkinson
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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