Image
For Māori, stranded whales were a valuable resource. The meat was a prized food, and the teeth were made into ornaments worn by respected members of the community. Whalebone was sometimes shaped into a patu, or hand club, like this one from Southland.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Southland Museum and Art Gallery
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.