Story: Best, Elsdon

An unidentified Māori man is observed playing a nose flute

An unidentified Māori man is observed playing a nose flute

From the 1890s ethnographer Elsdon Best investigated diverse aspects of Māori culture through direct contact with Māori people. Here, Best (seated, right) observes a man demonstrating a nose flute, while his companion looks on.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-054109; F

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.

How to cite this page:

Jeffrey Sissons. 'Best, Elsdon', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1993. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2b20/best-elsdon (accessed 8 December 2023)