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 butu consists of a main shaft [carved from wood] upon which two wii n bakoa (shark teeth) are lashed to drilled perforations made along one long side. The wooden shaft is flat, carved to a point at each end and is ovoid in cross section. It is smooth and matte in surface treatment. The wood of its side edge is deeply grooved to fit the wii n bakoa securely. The wii n bakoa are themselves perforated at their base and lashed to the shaft with te kora (coconut sennit). The wii n bakoa are off-white in colour while the wooden shaft is dark brown in colour.

Accession number: 1940.3 Last Update: 9 Jul 2026
Other Name

Dagger set with shark's teeth (English)

Accession Number

1940.3

Accession Date

1940

Other Id

25151.2 (ethnology)

Department

Pacific

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Te butu; 1940.3; 25151.2; Cultural Permissions Apply Cultural Permissions Apply
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