Pūtātara

- By Tim Codyre

This 19th-century pūtātara was crafted by a carver from Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Possessed by chiefly families as treasured heirlooms, a pūtātara was a tool used to communicate long distances. The shell, typically made from a native conch, had a wooden carved mouthpiece and was connected to a feather and muka (flax fibre) thong. When blown, it produced a loud sound that could travel far. Sometime a non-native species of triton shell would wash up on northern beaches and similarly be utilized.

Dimensions:
Width - 397mm x Depth - 130mm x Height - 170mm