Te butu
Te butu. Small dagger set with shark's teeth. Butu are designed to exact facial injuries to opponents targeting the forehead and the eyes so as to obscure vision or leave visible disfigurement. These small handheld weapons are easily concealed on a person and were often held and used by women. This small handheld knife consists of two wii n bakoa (shark’s teeth) perforated at the base and lashed to a small handle of coconut wood. The wooden handle is flat, rounded off at each end and is ovoid in cross section. It is smooth and polished in surface treatment. A series of drilled depressions along the side edge of the handle at one end creates the grooved ridge in which the two shark teeth slot in securely lashed with kora (coconut fibre cordage). A small hole is drilled at the grip end with two loops of kora cord threaded through for suspension. The wii n bakoa are natural in colour, while the wooden handle is dark brown in colour.
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- Te reo Name
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- Common Name
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- Other Name
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Dagger set with shark's teeth (English)
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- Description
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- Place
- Kiribati
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- Field Collection Place
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- Field Collection Site
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- Collection Date
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- Field Collection Date
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- Accession Number
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1951.207.20
- Accession Date
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19 Dec 1951
- Other Id
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32543 (ethnology)
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- Department
- Display Room
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- Restriction
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- Type
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