Taiaha. Finely carved head offering an elaborate forehead with…
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Taiaha. Finely carved head offering an elaborate forehead with recessed paua eyes with incised lines. Strongly carved nose with upper lip offering dog tooth notching. Tongue is beautifully executed, the large strike blade finely tapers out to a rounded end. Rich brown patina. Length 169.5 cm. Width 6 cm

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  • Incised - A record of a name, date or inscription, or a decoration scratched into a surface, usually of a glass or ceramic item with a blunt instrument to make a coarse indentation. Compare with engraving where the surface is cut with a sharp instrument such as a metal needle or rotating tool to achieve a fine indentation.
  • 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.

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