Pūtōrino

Culture Maori

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 681

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.

Pūtōrino, Maori, matai (Podocarpus spicatus) wood, cord, Maori people

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Pūtōrino, Maori, matai (Podocarpus spicatus) wood, cord, Maori people
Pūtōrino, Maori, matai (Podocarpus spicatus) wood, cord, Maori people
Pūtōrino, Maori, matai (Podocarpus spicatus) wood, cord, Maori people

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