Te butu

human history

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 weapon consists of two wii n bakoa perforated at the base and lashed to a small handle of te kanni (coconut wood). The wooden handle is long although irregular in shape, coming to a rounded point at knife end while the grip end is blunt and squared off. The wood remains textured and uneven as little surface treatment is applied. The long side edge of the handle on which the two wii n bakoa are lashed is straight while the other long edge is convex. A series of drilled depressions along the side edge of the handle creates the grooved ridge in which the two wii n bakoa slot in securely lashed with kora (coconut fibre cordage). A small hole is drilled at the centre of the handle with a loop of kora cord, brown in colour, threaded through for suspension. The wii n bakoa are natural in colour, while the wooden handle is medium brown in colour.

Accession number: 1939.127 Last Update: 26 Nov 2019
Other Name

Dagger set with shark's teeth (English)

Accession Number

1939.127

Accession Date

1939

Other Id

24554.1 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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