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Picture made from ferns; 5

Picture made from ferns, 5
FromThames Historical Museum
Name/Title
Picture made from ferns
Object Type
picture
Object number
5

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THE accompanying picture shows the largest of three combs which are now in a private collection at New Plymouth, and which came originally from Parihaka, near Cape Egmont. They are quite unique within my experience, for though combs of a size approximately 6 inches by 2 or 3 inches were not uncommon fifty years ago, these are of far larger size, that shown in the picture being of the following dimensions:—Across the top, 8.5 inches; across the bottom, 6.5 inches; height along the sides, 9 inches; and in thickness, 0.6 inches. It is evidently fairly old work, made of a dark wood, possibly Pukatea, and the carvings very good and in the true old Maori patterns. It is carved in the same manner both back and front, and has had on each face four inlaid mother-of-pearl ( paua -shell) eyes only one of which is now existing—see the lower eye on the left. The edges are also fully carved. The teeth of the comb are made of the same dark wood and are very close. They are sometimes made of the inner black “strings” or fibres of the mamaku tree fern, which on drying become very hard and look like blackened wire. Such combs (heru) were formerly worn stuck in the top-knot of hair universal amongst the men in former days—for the men wore their hair long, the women generally short. They were often made of whalebone, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, in which case the teeth formed part of the solid body, whilst in those wooden ones I have seen the teeth were attached—as in the picture—by fine close lashings of spun aho (or muka cord). Students of Maori history will remember that it was the unauthorised use of such a comb by Rua-tapu, Uenuku's younger son, which led to the incident known as “Te huri-pure-i-ata,” where many elder sons of chiefly families were drowned. This was in far Hawaiki, circa 1200.
A Maori Ceremonial Comb (heru) (Journal of the Polynesian Society)
The University of Auckland Library
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