Image
Te Rangihaeata, the war chief of the Ngāti Toa leader Te Rauparaha, holds his mere pounamu (greenstone club) Te Tuhiwai in this drawing from around 1850. Te Rangihaeata was given the mere by Te Rauparaha, who in turn received it as a gift exchange to seal peace between himself and Ngāi Tahu chief Te Matenga Taiaroa. Te Rauparaha gave a canoe named Wai-ka-hua in return for this magnificent weapon.
Using this item
Reference: PUBL-0032-1
by Richard Aldworth Oliver
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.