Maori Whalebone Kotiate with Traditional Carving and Patina

A good 19th century Maori carved whalebone kotiate, the…
click the photo to enlarge
A good 19th century Maori carved whalebone kotiate, the traditional blade of double lobed form with carved notches to either side, the straight sided grip terminating in a traditional head with open mouth and exposed tongue, the suspension hole tapering from each side, good colour and patina. Length 34 cm. Note: the kotiate was a prized weapon and also favoured by chiefs when speech-making, it is typical of whalebone examples that decorative carving was confined to the butt

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.

    As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.

    Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

Sylvia Halpern: Group of 3 Australian pottery doves. Tallest 28 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

19th century Maori carved whalebone kotiate, the traditional blade of double lobed form with carved notches to either side, the straight sided grip terminating in a traditional wheku head inset with paua shell eyes, the suspension hole tapering from each s

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A 22ct gold 1909 Indian head gold $5 eagle coin, the obverse with an Indian head, the reverse with an eagle, legend United States of America, five Dollars. Wt 8.5 grams

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

An old Maori stone anchor, spherical form, the top raised lozenge form ridge with hour-glass drilled hole, the pale stone with overall semi-polished finish. Height 18 cm Approx. diameter 16 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.