Story: Traditional Māori warfare – Riri

Artefacts including weapons

This display of artefacts includes a number of hand weapons including mere pounamu (greenstone club), kotiate (club shaped like a split liver), patu paraoa (whalebone club) and patu onewa (stone club).

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, H. N. Whitehead Collection (PAColl-3068)

Reference: 1/1-004708-G

by Henry Norford Whitehead

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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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Traditional Māori warfare – Riri – Rākau Māori – Māori weapons and their uses, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/37087/artefacts-including-weapons (accessed 9 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 14 June 2012.