Post #355893 by Robin on Fri, Jan 18, 2008 8:11 PM

Hi all,

This one was almost done when the buffing wheel grabbed it and slammed it against the back of the machine! SHIT!!! Benz had reminded me that at least the machine didn't eat my fingers.....which is great.

I was persevering with my skills development by making this Kotiate. I got this one done, and was walking across the shop to grab a cord for a pic when I dropped it!!!!! It bounced off the 100 sq. ft. of carpet, and landed on the 6 inches of cement around the edge! SHIT SHIT SHIT! Tama...just what are the stones trying to tell me?

So onward...I have been looking at clubs and coming to terms with my interpretation of the shapes and uses. I wanted them to be an honest representation of the Maori clubs. It's very interesting to me that ultimately these clubs are based in the age old question of form and function. And the craftsmen/artists made them and designed them with these questions in mind as well as spirit. I don't know if the warriors made their own, or went to the club maker and selected one. Or if the club was made specifically for a particular person. Does anyone else?

I also started a Wahaika another close combat lobed weapon. Originally clubs were made of stone and undecorated. The notches and lobes in both weapons served to catch an opponents weapon, and disarm them. I read somewhere that the Kotiate was sharp at the end, and that the notches were used for disembowling. They eventually became more and more elaborately carved...more mana, more spirit, more protectively charged and fierce.....and beautiful.

Still in the planning stages...not quite sure where it's going yet...hopefully not in the scrap bucket!

And this....guess what it is...I wasn't going to post it, but I'm kinda desperate. It is very loosely related to the topic of Polynesia/New Zealand. Sorry no prize involved.

And it didn't break...yet.

Thanks for looking....wish me luck!

[ Edited by: Robin 2008-01-19 05:57 ]