Pūtōrino

Maori

late 19th century · wood, cord · Musical Instruments

One of the enigmas of Oceanic music is the pūtōrino, an instrument once made by the Māori people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) that may have been played as a flute or as a trumpet. Carved from a block of matai wood (Podocarpus spicatus) to mimic a case moth's (tūngou ngou) cocoon , the pūtōrino is formed by splitting the wood, hollowing the inside, and lashing it back together with vine.

Artist

Maori

Date

late 19th century

Medium

wood, cord

Culture

Maori people

Department

Musical Instruments

Credit line

The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889