Maori canoe bailer carved from a single piece of kauri wood with a handle formed in to a bird head with haliotis eyes and a projecting panel behind the handle forming an anthropomorphic face with nose, bird like mouth, widely separated Haliotis eyes and V-shaped split tongue features. The underside of the bailer is entirely engraved with parallel lines infilled with rows of lozenges.
‘Wellcome’ catalogue card information found in archives of the Department of Africa, Oceania and The Americas at The British Museum on 5 October 2016 by Alison South. Scanned copy of card in ‘Wellcome’ section of the Horniman Historical files Accessions No. R 2135 1937 Classification K Group Section New Initials in top right hand corner W.H.M.M. Description CANOE BALER Wooden, carved. 4 ½� x 18 ½� x 8 ½�. Woodlark Island, New Guinea. Acc No. 157607 Acquisition Glen; 96/18/2/35. (Mr Stow) Placed Case No. C