War dance in 1851

Description

This is a watercolour painting created by the military artist Captain T J Grant in 1851. The image shows a Mäori woman holding a mere pounamu (greenstone hand weapon) and leading six male Mäori warriors in a war dance. The first male warrior holds a tewhatewha (a close combat weapon around 2 metres long); the second, fourth and fifth warriors hold upturned rifles; the third holds a taiaha (a long club around 2 metres in length); and the sixth holds a toki kakauroa (an axe head fixed to a long-handled shaft). All the male warriors have full facial moko (tattoo). The work measures 18.8 cm x 31.6 cm and is signed and dated in the lower right corner with pencil 'T J G/1851'. 'War dance' is written in pencil at the bottom centre.

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