Exceptionally Rare 19th-Century Whale Bone Tokotoko. New Ze...

Hammer

£4,500

Exceptionally Rare 19th-Century Whale Bone Tokotoko.

New Zealand
Whale Bone & Paua Shell
87cm long

Attributed to The Raharuhi Rukupō School (1800s -1873) | Possible Provenance: Ngarimu VC Investiture (1943).

This tokotoko (ceremonial orator’s staff) is carved from whale bone (parāoa) and features paua shell inlays set into the eyes of carved ancestral figures. The shaft is extensively decorated with intricate whakairo (carving), incorporating flowing spirals, interlocking figures, and whakapapa narratives, representing genealogical connections and ancestral authority. The work demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship, consistent with the Tairāwhiti School of Carving.

The stylistic language of this tokotoko is strongly aligned with the School of Raharuhi Rukupō, the preeminent carver of Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki in the 19th century. Rukupō was famed for his ability to embed whakapapa, tribal stories, and political symbolism into his carvings. While direct authorship by Rukupō himself is unknown, the carving techniques, stylistic features, and symbolic content all point to creation by Rukupō or a carver trained directly in his legacy, likely one of his apprentices disciples.

Historical Provenance:

Gifted to the Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Cyril Newall, in the early 1940s, possibly at the Ngarimu Victoria Cross Investiture Hui at Ruatoria. While the hui was hosted by Ngāti Porou, the presence of closely related iwi such as Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki and Rongowhakaata, and the importance of presenting taonga of exceptional mana, makes it plausible that this tokotoko — attributed to the School of Raharuhi Rukupō — was gifted as part of a collective East Coast offering to the Crown.

Other Examples:

The piece very closely resembles the Rukupō whale bone tokotoko carried by Eastern Māori MP Wi Pere when he visited Queen Victoria in London, 1897. Most recently exhibited at Te Papa's eighth iwi exhibition, Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow 2017-2022.

This tokotoko shares many key features with the Wī Pere tokotoko, a known work attributed directly to Rukupō. Both taonga are carved from whale bone, feature paua shell eyes in ancestral figures, use narrative carving, where each figure embodies elements of whakapapa and tribal history and employ the fine surface patterning and flowing, interwoven forms that are hallmarks of the Tairāwhiti School of Carving. It features a European-influenced T-handle, however these were often modified prior to gifting to suit Pākehā tastes, reflecting the evolving practice of Māori-Crown gift exchanges in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Condition:

One of the ten pieces of Paua shell inlay is missing, there is also a missing piece from the end of the handle, likely a further piece of paua shell inlay.

Keywords
Taonga, Maori, New Zealand, Staff, Paddle, Hoe, Pendant, Axe, Club, Weapons, Pounamu, Greenstone, Nephrite, Jade, Kawakawa, Kahurangi, Inanga, Tangiwai, Paua Shell, Abalone, Lord, Sir, Cyril, Newall, Wellington, Auckland, Oceanic, Raharuhi Rukupo