Māori ‘Putorino’ Flute

Oceanic artifact from the Māori peoples of New Zealand

Circa: late 19th - early to mid-20th century CE.

Materials:  reddish-brown native timber, perhaps totara wood, Paula shell, fibre cord

A bugle-flute ‘putorino’ belongs to Māori musical tradition, played as a flute in a higher register or blown as a trumpet in a deeper tone. Such instruments were associated with mana and an ancestral significance and ceremonial use.

Dimensions: 19" L x 2.5" W (48.3 cm L x 6.3 cm W)

Provenance: Private Texas, USA collection